Gunfire Incident at U.S. Embassy in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – This week, a group of suspected gang members in Haiti opened fire on U.S. troops stationed at the U.S. embassy, a situation that highlights the ongoing security issues in the Caribbean nation. A spokesperson from the U.S. Marine Corps confirmed the incident on Saturday.

Col. Stephen J. Keenan indicated that the shooting, which came to light this weekend, took place on Thursday. Fortunately, the Marines responded to the fire, and no injuries were reported among them.

It’s worth noting that Haitian police were unavailable for comment regarding the shootout.

Currently, gangs wield control over around 90% of Haiti’s capital, employing heavy weaponry to extort local businesses and compete for territory.

Even though the U.S. maintains its embassy in Haiti, multiple travel warnings from the State Department have been issued in recent years. Travelers are cautioned about the risks of kidnapping, crime, terrorist activities, and civil unrest.

According to the United Nations, gang-related violence has displaced over 1.3 million Haitians recently. The security landscape has worsened significantly since 2021, following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse at his residence.

This incident left a power vacuum, leaving many domestic politicians struggling to find a stable leadership, as no officials have been elected to replace Moïse up to this point.

In a recent development, the United Nations Security Council voted to deploy an anti-gang force, comprising approximately 5,500 personnel, to combat the heavily armed criminal groups in the region.

Kenya’s contingent of police is also facing challenges in handling the gangs responsible for a reported 5,600 deaths last year, according to the United Nations Human Rights Office.