Armed men in Haiti kidnap high-ranking security official

James Boyard's abduction is the highest-ranking abduction in the violence-wracked country in recent years, according to reports.

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Top security official James Boyard, who is also inspector general of Haiti's police, was seized in the island's capital Port-au-Prince on Thursday.

Both the Associated Press news agency and the New York Times confirmed his abduction via sources, with the newspaper adding Boyard's wife and six-year-old daughter were also taken.

A ransom has been requested, according to the New York Times, who cited a person familiar with the case.

Boyard, a highly respected security expert, is chief of staff to Mario Andrésol who was appointed in March.