Erik Prince’s Vectus Global Set to Deploy Nearly 200 Personnel in Haiti Amid Worsening Gang Crisis

In a significant development for Haiti’s escalating security crisis, Erik Prince’s security firm, Vectus Global, is reportedly on the verge of deploying nearly 200 personnel to the beleaguered nation. The move, confirmed by a source with direct knowledge of the plans on Thursday, aims to support the Haitian government in its desperate fight against powerful, heavily armed gangs that control vast swathes of territory.

The one-year agreement will see personnel from various countries, including the United States and Europe, advising and supporting Haiti’s National Police and the under-resourced U.N.-backed mission led by Kenyan police officers. This comes as the U.N. mission, with only 991 personnel, falls significantly short of its envisioned strength and funding, struggling to contain the widespread violence.

Vectus Global, led by the controversial founder of Blackwater, Erik Prince, is also expected to play a long-term advisory role in restoring Haiti’s revenue collection capabilities once stability is achieved. However, the deployment raises concerns among experts, with some, like Romain Le Cour Grandmaison from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, warning of potential U.S. legal violations without government permission and the risk of further fragmenting authority.

U.S. officials have clarified that the U.S. government is not involved in, funding, or overseeing this contract. The decision to bring in private contractors follows the recent appointment of André Jonas Vladimir Paraison as Haiti’s new police director general, who has previously overseen controversial task forces employing explosive drones.

Haiti continues to grapple with extreme gang violence, particularly from the powerful Viv Ansanm federation, designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. earlier this year. This federation was responsible for orchestrating major attacks in early 2024, including prison raids that freed thousands of inmates and the closure of the main international airport, leading to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry. Recent data from the United Nations indicates at least 1,520 people were killed and over 600 injured between April and June alone, with over 1.3 million displaced in recent years.

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