
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 21, 1994                   TAG: 9405230174
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Newsday
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

U. S. DRUG PROBE TARGETS HAITI MILITARY SUSPECTED IN TRAFFICKING

In a move that could bolster support for U.S. military intervention in Haiti, the Justice Department is preparing to seek indictments on narcotics-trafficking charges against top leaders of that country's military.

A department memorandum obtained by Newsday names 13 military officers, including Col. Michel Francois, the shadowy and ruthless head of the Port-au-Prince police, as targets of a federal narcotics investigation. It also names Max Paul, the director of ports, who orchestrated a demonstration by an unruly mob that prevented the U.S. Navy transport ship Harlan County from landing U.S. and Canadian troops last October.

The April 8 memorandum was prepared by Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mark Richard. It was distributed to the Defense and State departments, as well as to the CIA and other intelligence and law-enforcement agencies. It directs them to search their files to determine whether any of the suspects had been on the payroll of any U.S. intelligence agencies and to assess how the national security could be damaged by what might be revealed at a public trial.

The document says that some of the suspects could claim as a defense that they were engaging in trafficking ``at the behest of American authorities.''

Lt. Gen. Raul Cedras, commander in chief of Haiti's army, is not listed in the memorandum as a target of the investigation. However, U.S. officials say he is under separate investigation for allegedly having received a cash payment from the late Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar to protect cocaine shipments through Haiti.

One of the targets named in the memo is the general whom exiled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide last year wanted to appoint as his chief of the military, Jean-Claude Duperval.

Representatives of Haiti's military could not be reached for comment, but in the past have denied involvement in narcotics. Justice Department spokesman John Russell declined to discuss the memorandum.

by CNB