U.S. Marines stationed outside the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince were forced into a gunfight with suspected gang members late Thursday last week (local time), a Marine Corps spokesperson has confirmed.
Captain Steven J. Keenan said troops returned fire after being targeted by armed assailants, with no American injuries reported.
Haiti has been overwhelmed by gang violence since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, leaving armed groups in control of large swaths of the capital and key trade routes.
The UN estimates at least 5,600 people were killed in gang-related attacks last year, with 1.3 million displaced. A Kenyan-led, UN-backed security mission that deployed in 2024 managed limited gains but stalled due to a lack of personnel and resources, prompting the UN Security Council to restructure the effort into a 5,500-strong “Gang Suppression Force.”
The US Embassy remains under strict security, with nonessential staff ordered to leave since 2023 and Washington maintaining a “Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti.
⚠️WARNING: This post describes a violent armed conflict.
Gunfire erupted outside the U.S. Embassy in Haiti on Thursday after U.S. Marines exchanged fire with gang members.
The Marine Corps revealed that gang members in Port-au-Prince opened fire on the soldiers, who immediately… pic.twitter.com/B4q8yhn0xO
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