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U.S. Marines defending the American embassy in Haiti exchanged gunfire with suspected gang members final week, a Marine spokesman stated.
Capt. Steven J. Keenan informed Fox Information Digital in an emailed assertion Sunday that Marines supporting embassy safety operations had been fired upon by suspected gang members within the capital of Port-au-Prince and returned fireplace on the night of Nov. 13.
“U.S. Marines are dedicated to the security and safety of U.S. embassies worldwide and reply to all threats with professionalism and swift, disciplined motion,” Keenan stated.
No service members had been injured within the incident, which was first reported over the weekend by The Washington Post.
US MILITARY BUILDUP IN CARIBBEAN SEES BOMBERS, MARINES AND WARSHIPS CONVERGE NEAR VENEZUELA
Kenyan police stand guard exterior the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on July 5, 2024, as armed gangs proceed to trigger unrest in close by areas. (Guerinault Louis/Anadolu through Getty Pictures)
Neither the State Division nor the U.S. Embassy in Haiti instantly responded to Fox Information Digital’s request for remark.
The Caribbean nation has been affected by gang violence, with armed teams reportedly controlling as much as 90% of Port-au-Prince, in line with the United Nations. The teams block entry roads, assault infrastructure, and terrorize civilians by way of kidnappings, rapes and killings.
There was no elected authorities in Haiti because the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
The UN stated a Gang Suppression Power of 5,550 was set to start operations in Haiti on Oct. 2, working alongside Haitian authorities to neutralize gangs, safe infrastructure and help humanitarian entry.
Protesters in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, march on April 2, 2025, calling for the resignation of the Interim Presidential Council over worsening insecurity and rampant gang violence. (Guerinault Louis/Anadolu through Getty Pictures)
The multinational mission, approved by the UN Security Council, goals to “shield susceptible populations from escalating violence and forestall the displacement that inevitably causes.”
It stays unclear which nations will contribute personnel, although the power might be funded primarily by way of voluntary contributions from UN member states.
MAJOR CRUISE LINE SUSPENDS CARIBBEAN DESTINATION VISITS AMID KIDNAPPINGS, SAFETY CONCERNS
The State Division has a “Degree 4: Do Not Journey” warning for Haiti on its web site as a result of dangers of kidnapping, crime, terrorist exercise and civil unrest.
It ordered nonemergency U.S. authorities staff and their relations to go away the nation in July 2023 attributable to safety dangers. The nation has been beneath a state of emergency since March 2024.
Protesters cross burning tires whereas marching towards the Villa d’Accueil to demand stronger authorities motion on safety in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on April 2, 2025. (Clarens Siffroy/AFP through Getty Pictures)
