Overview:
The U.S. delivers 20 armored vehicles to Haiti’s Gang Suppression Force as violence continues and Guatemala pledges troops.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The United States has delivered 20 armored vehicles to Haiti’s new Gang Suppression Force (GSF), marking the first shipment of equipment to the 5,500-member UN-backed mission tasked with curbing the country’s gang violence.
But despite the delivery, no official deployment date has been announced, and key details about the GSF’s funding sources — beyond voluntary contributions — and recruitment procedures for its personnel remain unclear. The force, created to replace the Kenya-led mission, is still in its formative stages even as deadly attacks continue across Haiti.
“These vehicles will strengthen the capacity of the GSF and the Haitian National Police (PNH) to counter the deadly gangs terrorizing the people of Haiti,” the U.S. Embassy in Haiti said in a statement on Oct. 8. “They reaffirm the United States’ commitment to the country’s security.”
The GSF replaces the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS), whose mandate expired on Oct. 2 after limited progress against armed groups that now control about 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. The new force, made up of military and police officers, aims to support anti-gang operations and create conditions for a return to democratic governance.
The U.S. Permanent Mission to the UN said Thursday on X that discussions are underway with member states, including Caribbean Community (Caricom) nations, as part of the GSF’s formation and deployment planning.
Guatemala prepares troops
In Guatemala, 150 military officers, including 19 women, are training to join the force. Guatemalan Colonel Alfredo Sáenz said the United Nations has not yet requested their deployment, but confirmed the troops are preparing to assist if called.
“This demonstrates the strong commitment we have as military police to serve as ambassadors in uniform, peacekeepers, and soldiers of hope for the Haitian people,” Sáenz said.
Guatemala is the first country to pledge new personnel for the GSF. It previously sent 150 soldiers to the Kenya-led MSS mission, which remains stationed in Haiti and is awaiting the transition.
Meanwhile, the U.S. vows to stay the course.
“These vehicles will strengthen the capacity of the GSF and the Haitian National Police (PNH) to counter the deadly gangs terrorizing the people of Haiti and reaffirm the United States’ commitment to the country’s security.”
U.S. Embassy in Haiti
Washington says it remains committed to helping Haiti confront its gang crisis. The U.S. has offered multi-million-dollar rewards for information leading to the arrest of Haiti’s most powerful gang leaders, many of whom have been designated as terrorists by U.S. authorities.
“Together we will defeat the gangs terrorizing the region,” the U.S. Mission to the UN stated. “The GSF will have consistent funding, appropriate personnel, and the authority to take on this task.”
U.S. officials emphasize that gangs continue to destabilize Haiti while publicly claiming to seek peace. Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, urged more international engagement to share the burden of restoring stability.
“The U.S. should not have to do this alone,” Waltz said. “Unlike in the past, we will go on offense — when you have gang leaders like ‘Barbecue’ destabilizing so much of our region, right off our shores.”
Gang violence persists amid global pledges
Even as international partners announce new initiatives, Haiti’s gangs continue to wreak havoc. On Oct. 9, gunfire near the National Palace forced the evacuation of the Transitional Presidential Council during its first cabinet meeting in over 15 months.
Police exchanged fire with gangs near Champ-de-Mars, in the heart of Port-au-Prince, and images showed vehicles riddled with bullets. Similar clashes occurred in Delmas 19, despite recent operations to clear nearby neighborhoods and allow displaced families to return home.
In the Artibonite region — Haiti’s breadbasket — violence remains especially severe. The National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH) reports that eight of the department’s 17 communes face daily armed clashes, extrajudicial killings, rapes, arson and looting. In the first nine months of this year alone, at least 24 attacks were recorded.
Dozens of people have been killed, including four police officers and two MSS members. Six public institutions have been vandalized or burned, and hundreds of homes destroyed.
“The impact of this armed violence on the population of Artibonite is enormous,” RNDDH said. “Thousands have fled their homes, farmers have abandoned their fields, and fear has taken hold as gangs and even some vigilante groups extort locals and seize crops.”
As Haiti awaits the Gang Suppression Force’s deployment, violence continues to spread across urban and rural areas alike. Whether the GSF and its international backers can turn the tide remains uncertain — but for many Haitians, the need for real security has never been more urgent.
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