Haiti Task Force Fails To Assassinate Top Gang Leader Controlling Most Of Port-au-Prince

Haitian forces failed to assassinate one of the country's top gang leaders over the weekend as criminal organizations continue advancing over the country's capital, now controlling about 90% of its metropolitan territory.

Concretely, the operation carried out by a specialized task force sought to kill Jimmy "Barbecue" Chérizier in the lower Delmas 6 neighborhood, the Miami Herald reported. Several gang members were killed but the leader managed to survive. He published a video on his X account showing he was still alive and claimed that police tried to use explosive drones to kill him.

Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé described the attack on his X account as large-scale, saying that a specialized task force had been assembled. "security forces are mobilized, and a state of readiness has been declared."

The operation sought to respond to days of gang attacks, which escalated their operations over the past days. Last week gang Viv Ansanm, led by Chérizier, carried out a massacre in the densely populated Delmas 30 neighborhood.

At least 15 people were killed, residents told the Miami Herald. Among the victims was a meat vendor who was burned alive in front of his child. An entire family was also reportedly slaughtered, with only one survivor who hid under a bed. Authorities have not confirmed the death toll.

Delmas 30 is viewed as a key location, providing access to the neighborhoods of Nazon and Solino, which could serve as a pathway to the affluent Pétion-Ville district.

In addition to Delmas 30, gangs last week attacked Delmas 17, Delmas 19, Tabarre 27, and Fort National, a neighborhood overlooking the presidential palace. Gunfire near the palace prompted the deployment of a specialized police brigade to push back the gangs. Though security forces temporarily regained control, Fort National remained encircled by gang members, raising concerns that nearby neighborhoods could soon fall, potentially cutting off critical routes in downtown Port-au-Prince.