Police seize powerful weapons, kill several gang members in Haiti’s Croix-des-Bouquets operation

PORT-AU-PRINCE — An anti-gang operation launched Nov. 13 in the Santo and Lilavois areas of Croix-des-Bouquets led to the seizure of several high-powered weapons — including a Barrett M82 sniper rifle believed to be used by the 400 Mawozo gang — and the deaths of several alleged gang members, the Haitian National Police (PNH) said Friday.

The two-day operation also caused panic in the Cul-de-Sac Plain area of Port-au-Prince, including Croix-des-Bouquets and nearby Tabarre. Early Friday morning, a PNH helicopter supporting ground units was forced to land after coming under gunfire and experiencing what the institution described as a mechanical failure.

In a statement, police said officers destroyed the aircraft on the ground to prevent it from falling into gang hands after determining it could not be safely recovered.

“After this incident, the officers on board were secured and brought back by ground units,” the PNH said. “Before leaving the area, they set the aircraft on fire. This decision was intended to prevent the helicopter — impossible to recover at that moment — from falling into the wrong hands.”

PNH spokesperson Garry Desrosiers said eight officers were on the helicopter and all were recovered without injury.

No official casualty report has been released for the operation, which targeted both 400 Mawozo and the Chen Mechan gang, the latter of which operates in Croix-des-Missions and has repeatedly attempted to seize the Motorized Intervention Brigade (BIM) base in Clercine. The clashes displaced several families and intensified fear across surrounding neighborhoods.

“I wanted to leave the area, but the only place I could take shelter is also inaccessible,” said a Clercine resident, who requested anonymity for safety. “Police armored vehicles are patrolling while the gang gunfire continues.”

UN raises alarm over escalating violence, communities remain on edge

The operation comes as the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) warns of worsening violence across the country. According to a recent report, at least 1,247 people were killed and 710 were injured between July and September.

Although police operations and community resistance efforts have pushed gangs from parts of Port-au-Prince, attacks have expanded into provincial areas, including Artibonite, the Centre department, Arcahaie and Cabaret.

These figures add to the more than 3,000 people killed between January and June 2025, bringing Haiti’s total conflict-related deaths to over 4,200 this year. More than 1.4 million people have been displaced as of September due to gang activity, according to UN estimates.

Tensions remain high in Santo, Lilavois, Butte Boyer, Tabarre 27 and Clercine, where sporadic gunfire continued into Friday. Residents fear retaliation from gangs targeted in the latest police operations.

“I sleep in my pants, fully dressed as if I were about to go out,” said another Clercine resident. “In case the situation worsens and I have to flee quickly.”

As the PNH expands coordinated anti-gang operations with support from international partners, the security situation in the capital region remains volatile, with residents caught between armed groups and law enforcement.

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