Haiti’s National Police agency reported the recovery of a hijacked cargo ship carrying rice, following an intense five-hour gunbattle with gangs off the coast of Port-au-Prince. The confrontation led to injuries for two police officers, with an unspecified number of gang members killed.
Authorities identified the perpetrators as members of the “5 Seconds” and the “Taliban” gangs, who had seized the Magalie, a transport ship, on Thursday as it departed from the port of Varreux. According to local media Radio Télé Métronome, the hijackers kidnapped the ship’s crew and misappropriated approximately 10,000 out of 60,000 sacks of rice intended for delivery to Cap-Haitien.
The recent victory comes amid escalating gang violence that has challenged the capabilities of Haiti’s underfunded police force. The country has witnessed a spike in gang-related incidents since late February, with gangs targeting key government infrastructure and making brazen attempts to seize the National Palace, aiming for complete control over the capital.
In response to the increasing threat, police evacuated the Champ de Mars area near the National Palace on Monday due to heavy gunfire. The turmoil prompted Prime Minister Ariel Henry to agree to resign, with plans for a transitional presidential council to be established.
In a related operation on Friday, Haitian police announced the seizure of a significant cache of weapons and ammunition in Cap-Haitien, believed to have been shipped from Miami. A 2023 United Nations report highlighted the U.S., particularly Florida, as a major source of firearms entering Haiti.
Haiti Seizes Truck From Miami Full Of Weapons https://t.co/8czLqHSj29 pic.twitter.com/lFJ0l0NuiQ
— FieldTweets (@FieldTweets) September 14, 2016
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The successful recovery of the hijacked ship marks a rare win for Haiti’s police amidst ongoing violence that has seen multiple police stations burned, the main international airport closed, and over 4,000 inmates released from the country’s two largest prisons. The government’s struggle to restore order continues as Prime Minister Henry seeks international support for deploying a police force to combat the deepening crisis.
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