At least eight dead in a police operation against gangs in Haiti’s capital

au-Prince.- At least eight alleged gang members died in an operation carried out in Port-au-Prince in areas controlled by the Base 400 Mawozo gang, led by Lanmò SanJou, the Haitian National Police (PNH) reported this Sunday.

In the police operation, carried out on Saturday, an M16 rifle and a Kalashnikov rifle were also seized, according to the Police report, which also highlighted that a road in the north of the capital was unblocked and repaired.

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Among the alleged deceased criminals are lieutenants who had established themselves as heads of some neighborhoods, including ‘Zotolan’, ‘Ti Toni’, ‘Brekè’ and ‘Ti Piquant’. Likewise, law enforcement agencies plugged three large holes dug by the gangs to set a trap for the police. During this operation, armored vehicles and tractors were used to clear the road, and several police units were also deployed. “In addition to these security measures, a lot of work is being done so that the population can move around and travel freely, without fear”, the police institution stated in a press release, in which it also reaffirmed its “permanent” commitment to guarantee the safety of people and property. This operation coincides with the security alert issued by the United States Embassy in Haiti on the same Saturday, which informed U.S. citizens that security operations were being carried out north, northeast, and south of the embassy, and stated that “intense gunfire had been reported in the area”. In addition to this device, in other publications on its Facebook page, the PNH announced the reinforcement of its deployment and logistics in several departments of the country. The 35th police promotion, which graduated a few weeks ago, will be deployed in five geographical departments, including Artibonite and Centre, which are affected by insecurity. According to the PNH, armored vehicles will be mobilized and orders have been given to departmental police directors to guarantee the safety of the population. For several weeks, the Haitian police have been carrying out large-scale operations in different strongholds of armed gangs, such as Delmas 6, led by Jimmy Cherisier, alias Barbecue, and in the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets (northeast of Port-au-Prince), led by Lanmò San Jou.