Haiti Contracts Erik Prince, Private Military To Fight Capital Gangs

Erik Prince, founder of the former Blackwater and a supporter of former President Donald Trump, has been hired by Haiti's interim government to lead a secret task force deploying drones to target gangs terrorizing the nation and threatening to take over its capital, Port-au-Prince. Since March, Prince's team has been operating these drones, though authorities have yet to confirm the death or capture of any high-value targets. Prince plans to recruit up to 150 Haitian American military veterans as mercenaries to bolster security efforts, amid a context of significant gang violence that has displaced thousands and resulted in hundreds of deaths. The U.S. State Department has designated Haitian gangs Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as terrorist organizations but denies funding Prince's operations. The use of drones and foreign mercenaries has sparked debate over accountability, legality, and effectiveness, with critics questioning the authority of Haiti's unelected interim government to invite foreign forces and warning of potential negative consequences given the country's complex social and political dynamics. Despite some Haitian citizens and human rights organizations supporting the efforts to combat gangs, concerns remain about collateral damage and the broader implications of privatized military involvement in Haiti's crisis.