A team of Marines has been deployed to provide additional security at the U.S. embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, amid escalating gang violence on the Caribbean island, the Pentagon announced early Wednesday.
“At the request of the Department of State, the U.S. Southern Command deployed a U.S. Marine Fleet-Anti-terrorism Security Team (FAST) to maintain strong security capabilities at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and conduct relief in place for our current Marines, a common and routine practice worldwide,” U.S. Southern Command said in a statement. “The U.S. Embassy remains open, and limited operations continue, focused on assistance to US citizens and supporting Haitian led efforts to secure a peaceful transition of power.”
The deployment of Marines marks the second time in recent days that military forces have been called upon to evacuate U.S. embassy personnel in the Haitian capital. The State Department sent tactical teams of Diplomatic Security Service personnel to retrieve American non-essential personnel from the U.S. embassy Sunday morning, days before acting Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry announced his resignation and fled the country.
The country has been plagued by gang violence since the 2021 assassination of prime minister Jovenel Moïse, but the civil turmoil has only gotten worse in recent weeks with gangs leading attacks on government targets.
“U.S. Southern Command is prepared with a wide range of contingency plans to ensure the safety and security of U.S. Citizens in Haiti,” said a spokesperson for U.S. Southern Command.
In addition to providing security, the Marines are prepared to airlift additional embassy employees out of Haiti as the country continues spiraling into unrest.
“This week, the Department of Defense doubled our funding for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, and we are working with Haitian, Kenyan, and other partners to expedite its deployment to support the Haitian National Police and to restore security in Haiti,” U.S. Southern Command added. “The Department of Defense is postured to provide enabling support for the MSS, including planning assistance, information sharing, airlift, and medical support.”
After agreeing to resign while abroad, Henry ceded power to a transitional presidential council following a meeting of regional Caribbean leaders on Monday. Henry has not been able to return to Haiti after visiting Kenya to seek help from a United Nations–backed police force, which he hoped would restore order in his country.
The civil uproar has been primarily led by prominent gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, whose forces are pushing to oust Henry from power. Gangs have attacked banks, prisons, police stations, and the Port-au-Prince airport over the past two weeks.