While the Haitian National Police (PNH) launched a large-scale operation on Monday, June 1, 2026, in Village de Dieu, the stronghold of the dreaded “5 Segonn” gang, the brand-new Gang Suppression Force (GSF) has officially announced the start of its operations across the entire territory. A double offensive that marks a decisive turning point in the country’s security strategy.
In the middle of the day on Monday, law enforcement entered the sensitive neighborhood of Village de Dieu, located in downtown Port-au-Prince. Considered for several years as one of the main hotspots of insecurity in the metropolitan region, this area is the stronghold of the gang led by Johnson André, infamously known by his war name “Izo 5 Segond.”
Officers from various specialized units of the national police were mobilized for this large-scale operation. According to resident testimonies, heavy weapons fire was heard in downtown Port-au-Prince for several hours, reflecting the intensity of the clashes.
The operation is distinguished by the scale of the resources deployed. PNH armored vehicles successfully penetrated the village, while explosive drones were used to strike gang positions. Heavy machinery was also mobilized to destroy several houses blocking passage, allowing the armored vehicles to advance through roads deemed difficult to access.
This combined use of surveillance technology and heavy equipment reflects a notable change in the methods employed by security forces to face heavily armed gangs. According to police sources, several gang members were killed, either by drone strikes or during direct shootouts with law enforcement.
Images circulating widely on social media show the scale of the operation. Several residences were demolished, including that of “Manno,” as he is known, identified as the gang’s second-in-command. The house of the presumed leader was also targeted by law enforcement.
According to consistent sources, the gang leader Izo no longer resides in Village de Dieu, having left several months ago. He is reportedly being sheltered by another gang leader going by the name “Krisla” in the commune of Carrefour. This information, if confirmed, could explain the relative absence of strong organized resistance during this offensive.
The Village de Dieu gang is one of the most powerful criminal groups in the capital. Beyond its historic stronghold, it operates in various sectors of Port-au-Prince and is regularly accused of kidnappings, assassinations, and even drug trafficking.
This intervention also carries a highly symbolic dimension. It comes more than five years after the tragedy of March 12, 2021, during which five police officers lost their lives in an operation carried out precisely in this same neighborhood. This heavy toll left its mark on people’s minds and constituted a lasting trauma for the police institution.
The Gang Suppression Force (GSF) officially enters into action
On that same Monday, June 1, 2026, the Gang Suppression Force (GSF) announced the official launch of its operations in Haiti. In a post in Creole and French on X (formerly Twitter), the force states: “Jodi a make kòmansman operasyon yo nan Pòtoprens. Se lansman yon efò gradwèl pou febli gwoup ame yo epi retabli kondisyon ki pral pèmèt otorite Ayisyen yo asire sekirite piblik la.” [Translation: “Today marks the start of operations in Port-au-Prince. This is the launch of a gradual effort to weaken armed groups and restore conditions that will allow Haitian authorities to ensure public safety.”]
The GSF specifies that initial operations are targeted, with the intention of expanding them progressively as personnel and capabilities increase. The organization also commits to working systematically and to reporting on each of its actions—a promise of transparency rare in Haiti’s security landscape.
Parallel to events in the capital, the PNH has stated that it has intensified its operations in the Artibonite department, where it is recording significant advances in the fight against gangs operating in the region.
Last Friday, an operation against alleged members of the Gran Grif gang in Saint-Marc unfortunately turned tragic. Three officers from the Anti-Gang Tactical Unit (UTAG) and a brigadier from the vigilance brigade lost their lives. The victims are two UTAG officers, one officer from the Motorized Intervention Brigade (BIM), and a brigadier belonging to a civilian self-defense group in the area. These losses cruelly remind us of the risks faced by officers tasked with restoring order when confronting heavily armed and determined adversaries.
The international context is also favorable to this escalation of operations. Following a lightning visit by US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau to Port-au-Prince last week, the office of Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé issued a statement affirming that “the United States stands shoulder to shoulder with the head of Haiti’s transitional government to restore state authority, dismantle criminal networks, and stabilize institutions in Haiti.”
As attention now remains focused on the concrete results of the operation in Village de Dieu, several questions persist. Will the offensive succeed in lastingly changing the balance of power in this strategic area? Will the GSF, still in its infancy, be able to maintain pressure across the entire territory? The population, which aspires above all to regain peace and freedom of movement, now awaits tangible results.
