Texas Company Sues Florida for $7.5M Haiti Evacuation Fees

TAD Recovery Services, a Texas-based rescue company, has filed a federal lawsuit against Florida's Division of Emergency Management alleging the state owes more than $7.5 million for evacuation services provided during the 2024 political unrest in Haiti. Initially contracted to evacuate children associated with the Tim Tebow Foundation, the mission expanded to include a broader evacuation of Floridians and other U.S. citizens amid escalating violence. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis praised the operation as a successful rescue of 722 Americans, authorized by an executive order in March 2024. The lawsuit claims that Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie hired TAD, then replaced them mid-mission with politically connected vendors before rehiring TAD when the others failed to complete the task. Meanwhile, a federal judge has questioned the court's jurisdiction over the lawsuit because it involves a state agency and state law claims, giving TAD Recovery a deadline to justify why the case should proceed in federal court. Florida officials have not publicly responded to the allegations or the lawsuit as of now.