Haitian security forces have begun using weaponized drones against gangs in Port-au-Prince, according to government sources.
The strikes come as gangs now control most of Port-au-Prince, displacing an estimated 700,000 people.
According to open-source reports, the drone used appears to be a first-person view (FPV) kamikaze-style drone fitted with improvised explosive devices. Civilian injuries have been reported, though no gang leaders have been confirmed killed.
🇭🇹 #Haiti: Haitian security forces reportedly carried out drone strikes against gang members in Port-au-Prince, using what appear to be FPV-style kamikaze drones equipped with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The reported development comes as the Haitian government turns… pic.twitter.com/M2ivzOY3SN
— POPULAR FRONT (@PopularFront_) June 1, 2025
A government official said the drone campaign is managed by a task force created by interim Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and defended the strikes as necessary to prevent further gang expansion.
Meanwhile, according to a report by The New York Times, the Haitian government has turned to private military contractor Erik Prince, a former Navy SEAL and founder of the now-defunct Blackwater, in its latest effort to curb gang violence.
Security experts told The Times that Prince has been seeking to recruit Haitian-American military veterans for deployment to Port-au-Prince.
He is reportedly planning to send up to 150 mercenaries to Haiti this summer and has recently shipped a significant cache of weapons to the country, according to the news outlet.
The State Department told Fox News that the U.S. government is not involved in the arrangement.
