US Marines Fired Upon by Suspected Gang Members in Haiti

U.S. Marines providing U.S. embassy security in Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince came under fire from suspected gang members and momentarily engaged in a shootout on Nov. 13.

The security incident was first reported by The Washington Post. Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Steven Keenan confirmed the incident in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times on Nov. 15.

“I can confirm that Marines supporting embassy security operations were fired upon by suspected gang members in Port-au-Prince and the Marines returned fire on the evening of 13 Nov. No Marines were injured,” Keenan said.

The Epoch Times contacted the U.S. State Department for additional details about the shootout but did not receive a response by publication time.

Haiti has faced pronounced internal turmoil in recent years as street gangs have vied for power. By some estimates, gangs effectively control about 90 percent of Haiti’s capital city.

The State Department’s current travel advisory for Haiti lists the Caribbean nation as “Level 4: Do Not Travel”—the department’s highest travel caution—”due to kidnapping, crime, terrorist activity, civil unrest, and limited health care.”

Haitian National Police announced major anti-gang operations overnight on Nov. 13 and into Nov. 14 in the Croix des Bouquets area of Port-au-Prince.

In a series of statements on Facebook after the raid, the Haitian police force said they had fatally wounded several gang members. The police said they also seized a cache of gang weapons and equipment, including an unspecified model of Barrett anti-materiel rifle and a bulldozer reportedly used in a prison break.

The Haitian National Police reported losing one of the helicopters they had used in support of the major law enforcement raid in the Croix des Bouquets area. The police force said the helicopter pilot “made a forced landing” and then destroyed the aircraft to “prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.”

A Kenyan-led U.N. peacekeeping force, known as the Multinational Security Support Mission, is working with Haitian police in their ongoing struggle with the gangs.

In May, the State Department designated two Haitian street gangs—Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif—as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.