The United States has officially designated two major Haitian gang coalitions as foreign terrorist organizations, in a move aimed at curbing escalating violence and instability in the Caribbean nation.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that the Viv Ansanm coalition—comprised of more than two dozen heavily armed gangs—and the Gran Grif gang have been labeled both Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists under U.S. law.
“The age of impunity for those supporting violence in Haiti is over,” Rubio said in a statement. “They are a direct threat to U.S. national security interests in our region.”
The State Department cited the groups’ involvement in the widespread killing of civilians, attacks on Haitian security forces and international personnel, and efforts to overthrow Haiti’s fragile transitional government with the goal of creating a gang-dominated state.
Haiti has endured years of spiraling violence, with gangs now estimated to control 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Murders, kidnappings, and sexual violence have surged amid a near-total collapse of state authority.
Despite the recent deployment of a Kenya-led international security mission aimed at bolstering Haiti’s police force, the violence has persisted, casting doubt on the mission’s effectiveness and deepening the humanitarian crisis.
The new U.S. terrorist designations allow Washington to impose severe financial and legal penalties on anyone found to be aiding or abetting the listed groups.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 11th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said a bridge project linking Canada’s Ontario province with the U.S. state of Michigan would contribute to cooperation between the two countries.
JD Vance arrived in Armenia on Monday (9 February), becoming the first sitting U.S. Vice President to visit the country, as Yerevan and Washington agreed to cooperate in the civil nuclear sector in a bid to deepen engagement in the South Caucasus.
The United States and Azerbaijan signed a strategic partnership in Baku on Tuesday (10 February) encompassing economic and security cooperation as Washington seeks to expand its influence in a region where Russia was once the main power broker.
António José Seguro’s decisive victory over far-right challenger André Ventura marks an historic moment in Portuguese politics, but analysts caution that the result does not amount to a rejection of populism.
Buckingham Palace said it is ready to support any police investigation into allegations that Prince Andrew shared confidential British trade documents with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as King Charles expressed “profound concern” over the latest revelations.
Iran’s atomic energy chief says Tehran could dilute uranium enriched to 60 per cent if all international sanctions are lifted, stressing that technical nuclear issues are being discussed alongside political matters in ongoing negotiations.
Norway’s Sturla Holm Laegreid, who won bronze in the men’s biathlon at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Tuesday (10 February) in Italy, stunned viewers by publicly admitting he had cheated on his girlfriend and pleaded for another chance during post-race interviews.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 11th of February, covering the latest developments you need to know.
A proposed multinational peacekeeping force for Gaza could involve around 20,000 personnel, with Indonesia estimating it may contribute up to 8,000, a spokesman for Prabowo Subianto said on Tuesday.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington could deploy a second aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East if nuclear negotiations with Iran collapse, warning of tougher action if no deal is reached.
Ten people including the shooter are dead after an assailant opened fire at a high school in western Canada on Tuesday in one of the country's deadliest mass casualty events in recent history.
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