Overview:
The Haitian Nationwide Police stated 43 suspected gang members have been killed in 32 operations throughout the West, Central and Artibonite departments in early 2026. Authorities additionally reported seizures of weapons, gear and a number of arrests, as violence continues to worsen nationwide.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The Haitian Nationwide Police (PNH) reported Wednesday that 43 suspected gang members have been killed throughout 32 operations carried out within the first three months of 2026, as authorities try and curb escalating violence throughout the nation.
Police stated two officers have been additionally killed in the course of the operations, which passed off within the West, Central and Artibonite departments. Authorities famous that the officers have been killed throughout an operation concentrating on a kidnapping case within the Delmas suburb, northwest of downtown Port-au-Prince.
The figures have been offered throughout a press convention held in Clercine by spokesperson Garry Desrosiers, who stated the operations replicate intensified efforts to regain management from armed teams.
Among the many interventions, Desrosiers stated police dismantled a gang led by Rodolphe “Chalè” Louissaint within the capital.
“We proceed to display our willpower and are making sacrifices so the inhabitants can transfer freely,” the Haitian police spokesperson stated.
Weapons seized, arrests made
Police stated the operations resulted within the seizure of serious gear, together with 46 rifles, 19 pistols, six drones, 10,659 rounds of ammunition and two armored autos.
In parallel, the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police (DCPJ) carried out a sequence of investigations below “Operation Goudougoudou” [Haitian Creole term used in the aftermath of the January 2010 earthquake to describe its devastating movement], resulting in the referral of fifty folks to judicial authorities — 39 males and 11 girls — most of them suspected of gang ties.
Anti-drug models additionally reported seizing greater than 76 kilograms of cocaine and marijuana, in addition to money and property linked to illicit actions.
“These outcomes replicate the Haitian Nationwide Police’s constant willpower to struggle crime,” the establishment stated in a statement.
Restricted affect amid worsening disaster
Regardless of the rise in operations, safety circumstances stay dire.
A current report by the United Nations human rights workplace discovered that at the very least 5,519 folks have been killed and a couple of,608 injured between March 2025 and January 2026 in violence involving gangs, safety forces and vigilante teams.
Rights workplace particulars killings by gangs, police and vigilante teams as insecurity worsens regardless of worldwide interventions
The report highlights a widening cycle of violence, with gangs increasing past Port-au-Prince into different areas, together with Artibonite and the Centre Division.
Gangs have been liable for at the very least 1,424 killings, whereas safety operations accounted for 3,497 deaths. Vigilante teams contributed to 598 deaths, underscoring considerations about reprisals and abuses.
Extra broadly, armed teams proceed to manage key nationwide roads and enormous parts of the capital — estimated at almost 90% — limiting motion and entry to primary providers. The violence has displaced greater than 1.4 million folks nationwide.
The newest police figures come as critics query the effectiveness of ongoing safety efforts, together with the Kenya-led multinational mission deployed in June 2024 and extra safety assist initiatives, which have but to considerably enhance circumstances on the bottom regardless of tens of millions spent.
Authorities say operations will proceed, however for a lot of Haitians, day by day life stays largely unchanged amid persistent insecurity.