Explosive drones, foreign contractors, and a collapsing political timeline—Haiti’s gang war just entered a new phase.
Haitian security forces carried out a drone strike Wednesday on multiple homes linked to notorious gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, escalating a high-stakes campaign to dismantle the armed networks that dominate much of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
According to local outlet Gazette Haiti, at least three houses associated with Cherizier were bombed in the Delmas 6 neighborhood, a long-standing stronghold for armed groups loyal to him. Video circulating on social media—unverified but widely shared—showed a powerful explosion leveling at least one building and damaging nearby homes, sending a thick plume of smoke into the air. Authorities did not immediately confirm whether anyone was killed, injured, or arrested during the operation.
Hours earlier, Haiti’s National Police said it had launched an operation specifically targeting Cherizier’s residence. Police later confirmed that officers entered the damaged properties and recovered equipment, though details were not disclosed.
The operation brought together an unusually broad coalition: Haitian police and army units, the UN-backed Gang Suppression Force, the prime minister’s task force, and a private military company. The task force has overseen the use of explosive drones for nearly a year, marking a significant shift in Haiti’s internal security tactics.
The private firm involved, Vectus Global, is run by Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater, and has been supporting Haiti’s government drone operations since early last year. The involvement of a foreign private military company underscores both the severity of Haiti’s security crisis and the limited capacity of state forces to confront heavily armed gangs alone.
Cherizier, 48, a former police officer, is the leader and public face of Viv Ansanm, a powerful coalition that unites most of the capital’s major gangs. The group has been locked in a violent confrontation with police, effectively paralyzing large parts of Port-au-Prince. Cherizier is under United Nations sanctions, and the United States has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or capture.
Accused of orchestrating multiple massacres, Cherizier has attempted to recast himself as an anti-elite revolutionary, even floating the idea of transforming Viv Ansanm into a political movement.
The strike comes at a politically sensitive moment. Haiti’s transitional government is approaching a February 7 deadline to end its mandate, yet no clear plan for political succession has been announced. As that clock ticks down, Wednesday’s operation suggests the state is betting on force—possibly decisive force—to reclaim control before gangs can further entrench themselves in Haiti’s fragile power vacuum.
