Haiti sends 150 soldiers to Mexico for training amid worsening gang violence

Haiti has deployed 150 troops to Mexico for military training, part of a wider plan to restore security as gang control intensifies across the country.

Haitian troops departed Port-au-Prince on Thursday to begin a three-month training programme in Mexico, the first batch of a planned 700-soldier deployment. The initiative aims to build capacity within Haiti’s armed forces as the Caribbean nation battles extreme gang violence.

“This illustrates the government’s firm determination to restore republican order, reinstate state authority throughout the country, and ensure the protection of every citizen,” Haiti’s Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé said in a statement.

The Haitian government says the effort is part of a roadmap to restore public security, rebuild state institutions, and eventually hold national elections.

Mexican security forces—despite facing persistent violence themselves—are expected to share their experience in countering criminal organisations. Details of the training programme have not been publicly disclosed, and CNN has contacted Mexico’s government for further information.

According to the United Nations, more than 80% of Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince is under gang control, and almost 1.3 million people are internally displaced. Gangs have also expanded into rural areas, particularly the Artibonite region, displacing an additional 15,000 people just last week.

Despite the presence of hundreds of Kenyan officers from a U.S.-backed Multinational Security Support mission (MSS), attacks have continued and casualties among security personnel have been reported.

Haiti has repeatedly appealed for international help to regain control and restore safety, but progress remains limited as gang networks tighten their grip across the country.

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