US Lists Haitian Gang Alliances as Foreign Terrorists

(MENAFN) On Friday, the U.S. State Department officially classified a coalition of Haitian criminal factions as foreign terrorist organizations, citing their contribution to widespread turmoil and unrest in the Caribbean nation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Viv Ansanm alliance—which includes more than twenty well-armed criminal groups—and the Gran Grif gang have now been designated both Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

“The age of impunity for those supporting violence in Haiti is over,” Rubio declared, emphasizing that “They are a direct threat to U.S. national security interests in our region.”

Rubio explained that these factions have been responsible for killing noncombatants, attacking Haitian law enforcement and international personnel, and attempting to dismantle the country's leadership to replace it with a gang-dominated regime.

For years, Haiti has been plagued by violent street groups involved in killings, abductions, sexual assaults, and various other offenses.

The nation is currently governed by a temporary administration.

These gangs reportedly exert control over approximately 85 percent of Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital.

Despite the presence of a multinational security mission led by Kenya to support Haitian authorities, the violent unrest continues.

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