U.S. Marines deployed to Haiti to protect the US Embassy exchanged fire this week with suspected gang members, US military officials said on Saturday (November 15).

The incident occurred Thursday evening, said Capt. Steven Keenan, Marine Corps spokesman. In a statement, he said that "Marines supporting embassy security operations were fired upon" in the capital city of Port-au-Prince and then returned fire. None of the Marines were injured, he added.

"U.S. Marines are committed to the safety and security of U.S. embassies worldwide and respond to all threats with professionalism and swift, disciplined action," Keenan said.

The State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military operations in the region, did not respond to requests for comment.

This previously unreported incident comes after the Pentagon increased security at the Embassy in Haiti last year, when it was plagued by gang violence https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41832-haiti-flash-marines-deployed-in-haiti.html

In August, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti said in a statement that a contingent of U.S. Marines had arrived to "provide security for our diplomatic post and coordinate an eventual rotation of Marines" previously deployed to reinforce embassy security. This deployment, the embassy said, allowed the American diplomatic mission to continue its assistance to the Haitian police and a multinational security mission.

The embassy remains open for emergency services. In previous security updates this year, it reported incidents involving heavy gunfire nearby.

In March 2024 the State Department evacuated non-essential U.S. government personnel from the Embassy. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41848-haiti-flash-night-military-evacuation-of-non-essential-personnel-from-the-american-embassy.html

"Haiti has been in a state of emergency since March 2024," the State Department said in a travel advisory issued in July. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41800-haiti-flash-american-citizens-called-to-leave-haiti-as-soon-as-possible.html

HL/ HaitiLibre