Haiti’s Gangs Extend Hit-and-Run Tactics to Rural Communities

On September 7, a report released by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime’s Haiti Observatory documented a marked shift in the operating patterns of Haiti’s armed gangs. While security and political attention has remained centered on the capital, the analysis found that gangs are increasingly moving into the countryside, employing rapid-raid tactics that include kidnappings, cattle theft and the erection of roadblocks.

UsNews and World Report

The Observatory described the new approach as the use of small, mobile units that can strike quickly, then disperse to sanctuary areas. The assault on Kenscoff—a mountainous community outside Port-au-Prince—illustrated this change; the attack resulted in the deaths of dozens of residents and a mass kidnapping. In the Artibonite region, one of the nation’s principal agricultural zones, gangs have been reported to target farms, transport routes and farmland, further destabilizing food production and local economies.

UsNews and World Report

According to the same report, Haiti’s security forces lack the personnel, equipment and training required to counter highly mobile armed groups operating across rugged, dispersed terrain. The Observatory warned that a conventional security-only response would be insufficient given the gangs’ ability to project influence without establishing permanent control over territory.

The Straits Times

The Haiti Observatory called for a multi-pronged strategy that goes beyond military action. It recommended measures to protect farmers, restore local economies, and address longstanding land and community disputes. Additionally, the report advocated for programs aimed at disarming gang members and facilitating their reintegration into civilian life, arguing that such efforts are essential to curbing the spread of violence in Haiti’s rural areas.

The Straits Times