A U.S.-based rescue company is taking the state of Florida to court, claiming the state owes more than $7.5 million for a mission carried out in Haiti during a period of political turmoil last year. TAD Recovery, headquartered in Florida, filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. The company says it coordinated a large-scale evacuation of U.S. citizens but has not received payment for its services.
Lawsuit claims unpaid bill for high-risk operation
On April 24, 2024, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis praised what he called a “successful rescue” of 722 American citizens from Haiti, following weeks of escalating unrest in the country.
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In a press release, DeSantis said he directed the Florida Division of Emergency Management on March 20 to begin efforts to bring Americans home as the security situation in Haiti deteriorated.
DeSantis signed an executive order giving the state the authority to carry out the operations. The order authorized the Florida Division of Emergency Management to coordinate efforts, allocate resources and take necessary actions to bring U.S. citizens home safely from Haiti.
“Evacuating our residents has been challenging, and I am incredibly proud of the hard work our State Emergency Response Team, private and nonprofit partners have done to bring Americans home and accommodate their needs upon returning to Florida,” Kevin Guthrie, the division’s executive director, said.
Company says mission grew beyond original scope
According to TAD Recovery, the operation came in response to widespread unrest and violence in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and the northern city of Cap-Haitien. The company says it deployed helicopters and airplanes to evacuate U.S. nationals from dangerous areas.
According to the lawsuit, the Florida Division of Emergency Management initially reached out to TAD Recovery to assist with evacuating children affiliated with the Tim Tebow Foundation in Haiti. That limited mission soon expanded, with TAD taking on a broader role in the rescue efforts as the crisis deepened.
In the court filing, TAD Recovery says it is owed $7,544,031 for its services and has not received payment.
TAD describes itself as a global logistics and emergency response provider with experience operating in more than 10 countries across five continents. The firm promotes its partnerships with government agencies and its readiness to assist during high-risk situations.
