Haitian Gangs Storm Another Prison, Freeing Hundreds Of Inmates As Capital Nears Collapse

Haitian gangs continue making advances in the capital, Port-au-Prince, now storming a prison and freeing some 500 inmates.

The attack targeted a local police station, leading to fires and destruction that forced residents and hospital staff to flee in panic, according to the Miami Herald.

Videos circulating on social media and picked up by the outlet showed residents fleeing, some wading through a river to escape gunfire. According to the Port-au-Prince-based human rights organization Fondasyon Je Klere, gang members traveled along the main highway to Mirebalais without encountering resistance.

The incident follows a pattern seen in previous prison breaks, including the storming of Haiti’s two largest prisons last year, where some 4,000 inmates were freed.

Local officials had requested reinforcements, including armored vehicles, to bolster security in Mirebalais. Frédérique Occéan, a presidential appointee for the region, said those requests were not met. He linked the attack to recent police operations against arms trafficking along the nearby border with the Dominican Republic, which had resulted in arrests and weapon seizures.

Police reinforcements were deployed by helicopter, and by early afternoon, authorities reported that Mirebalais was “for the moment under control.” Lazarre said police were conducting operations against gang members, with several reportedly killed, wounded, or arrested, though no official figures were provided.

Port-au-Prince, is as close as it’s been to falling as heavily armed gangs continue to expand their control, leaving government institutions in retreat and residents trapped. Gangs part of coalition Viv Ansanm have taken over key neighborhoods, forcing the closure of public offices, schools, and businesses.

The gangs have divided the city, especially after a January attack in Kenscoff, which left strategic neighborhoods vulnerable. The removal of armored police vehicles from downtown to reinforce Kenscoff created an opening for gangs to expand, seizing roads that lead to the country’s international airport and surrounding regions.

The crisis has strained the country’s transitional government. The nine-member Transitional Presidential Council, already facing internal conflicts and a lack of a coordinated strategy, risks losing authority if the capital falls. Last year, an attempted gang takeover was thwarted through international intervention, leading to the ouster of the prime minister. However, security has not improved, and the political transition remains stalled.