Three police officers from the Anti-Gang Tactical Unit (UTAG) and one brigadier from the vigilance brigade were killed Friday during an operation against suspected members of the Gran Grif gang in Saint-Marc, in the Artibonite department, Haiti’s National Police (PNH) confirmed Saturday.
In a statement released by its communications directorate, the police institution said the incident occurred in the locality of Morne Robert, on the axis linking Saint-Marc to Verrettes. According to initial findings, a vehicle carrying the officers was first involved in an accident, after which the police came under armed attack attributed to the Gran Grif gang, based in Savien in the same region.
The victims are two UTAG officers, one officer from the Motorized Intervention Brigade (BIM), and one brigadier from the local civilian self-defense group, the statement said.
Units deployed in the Carrefour Robert sector came under heavy fire from heavily armed men, the PNH added. Security forces returned fire, claiming to have inflicted casualties on the assailants. No official toll regarding possible gang members wounded or killed has been released.
Police leadership condemned what it called “acts of barbarism” and paid tribute to the officers who died in the line of duty. Specialized units remain mobilized to secure the area and recover the bodies of the fallen agents.
The PNH also announced the immediate reinforcement of its operations in Artibonite, in response to the deteriorating security situation in certain areas of the department.
Images circulating on social media, attributed to the Gran Grif gang, show the bullet-ridden bodies of police officers as well as seized equipment, including handguns, assault rifles, and ammunition. The authenticity of these videos could not be immediately verified.
This is not the first time law enforcement officers have been gunned down during anti-gang operations in Artibonite. Several Haitian police officers and a member of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) have been killed in recent years in the department, where two powerful gangs operate, notably Gran Grif, whose stronghold is in Savien, in the commune of Petite-Rivière de l’Artibonite.
In March 2025, a Kenyan police officer serving with the MSS was killed in an ambush on the main road linking Kafou Pèy to Savien. His body was desecrated, sparking strong international outrage. In July 2024, three officers from the Departmental Unit for the Maintenance of Order (UDMO) fell into a trap set by Gran Grif, which also set a armored vehicle on fire. In January 2023, a deadly attack on the Liancourt police station claimed the lives of six Haitian police officers.
Despite these losses, the PNH says it has stepped up operations in Artibonite and achieved significant progress, particularly against the Kokorat san ras gang, active in the Lacroix Périsse area.
Backed by the Task Force and equipped with armored vehicles, security forces have in recent days managed to penetrate previously inaccessible perimeters, allowing a partial resumption of car traffic on National Route Number One near L’Estère, according to an earlier PNH statement.
Earlier this week, the PNH said security forces had killed several members of the Kokorat san ras gang and dismantled numerous barricades that had been blocking strategic roads.
U.S. official visit on day of tragedy
The latest tragedy comes as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau paid a discreet visit to Port-au-Prince on Friday. He met with Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, who has been leading the country alone for nearly five months following the departure of the Transitional Presidential Council.
Discussions focused on security challenges, progress in institutional stabilization, and bilateral cooperation. According to a statement from the Haitian Prime Minister’s office, the Prime Minister highlighted the “concrete victories” of his security forces, including the gradual recapture of strategic areas of the capital and the joint buildup of the PNH and the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd’H), reinforced by the bilateral P4000 program.
The Prime Minister’s office stated that “the United States stands with the Prime Minister to restore state authority, dismantle criminal networks, and stabilize institutions.”
The Gran Grif and Kokorat san ras gangs have for several months controlled entire segments of National Route Number One, making overland travel between the capital and the country’s far north extremely difficult and dangerous. According to security sources, recent operations aim to break this stranglehold, which is choking the economy and restricting the movement of citizens.
