Heavily armed gangs attacked Haiti’s central region over the weekend, killing men, women and children as they set fire to homes and forced survivors to flee into the darkness.
Police made emergency calls for backup, asserting that 50% of the Artibonite region had fallen under gang control after the large-scale attacks targeting towns including Bercy and Pont-Sondé.
The United Nations warned Monday that Haiti is “rapidly becoming a central hub” for international drug trafficking as gangs in the country expand ties with organized crime networks abroad, amid a worsening security crisis.
The UN said criminal gangs are increasingly battling for control of territory in the capital and beyond, forcing hundreds of thousands of Haitians into displacement and worsening the nation’s humanitarian and economic crises.
Une saisie record de cocaïne au large des côtes d'Haïti a mis en évidence le « rôle central de ce pays insulaire dans les routes de trafic reliant l'Amérique du Sud, les Caraïbes et les États-Unis », selon les Nations Unies.
Additional US Marines being sent to Haiti to defend the embassy from gang attacks face a grim reality: They’re increasingly being targeted by American-made, military-grade firearms.
Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader announced Wednesday that he has authorized the U.S. government to operate inside restricted areas in the Caribbean country to help in its fight against drug trafficking.