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A drone strike in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, killed at least 13 people, including children, during a gang leader’s birthday celebration.
Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, the security situation in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince has deteriorated so severely that the Haitian government has turned to drone warfare in a desperate attempt to reclaim territory from powerful gangs controlling up to 90% of the city. Since early 2025, the government has deployed weaponized drones to target gang leaders. In addition, Haiti has reached a deal with Vectus Global, a private security firm led by former US Navy SEAL and Blackwater founder Erik Prince. Under their deal, nearly 200 foreign contractors are being sent to Haiti to assist in counter-gang operations, including the use of explosive drones. These operatives reportedly operate semi-independently from Haiti’s National Police and have engaged in lethal hits.
What’s going on now: According to Haitian media, 13 people were killed (including eight children, three adult civilians, a pregnant woman, and at least four suspected gang members) when two explosive drones struck the Simon Peléneighborhood of Cité Soleil on Saturday night. The attacks targeted a birthday celebration for Albert Steevenson, also known as Djouma, a gang leader affiliated with the Viv Ansanm coalition, who was handing out gifts to children. The first drone exploded near a group of civilians gathered for the event, while the second struck closer to a suspected gang hideout. Steevenson survived the strike uninjured, while six more children were seriously wounded in the blast.
The National Human Rights Defense Network (RNDDH) confirmed the drones were launched by a special police task force tied to the Haitian National Police, and condemned the operation as a reckless use of lethal force in a densely populated civilian area. They called the death toll a “conservative estimate” and stressed that such attacks, lacking transparency and oversight, blatantly disregard humanitarian principles. RNDDH stated that no high-level gang figures were neutralized and that operations like these disproportionately harm civilians, further eroding trust in state institutions.
Eyewitnesses described the aftermath as “carnage,” with children’s bodies scattered across a blood-soaked park. A grandmother told local reporters that her four-year-old granddaughter was playing when the drone exploded (shattering her knees and splitting her head open). A mother found her son with his limbs blown off, begging her to help, but he died before reaching the hospital.
No statement from the Haitian government yet.
