Armed groups attack primary penitentiary in Haiti, freeing prisoners

Armed groups attack Haiti’s National Penitentiary over the weekend, leading to the escape of well-known gang leaders and other inmates from the overcrowded facility

Armed groups launched an attack on Haiti’s National Penitentiary over the weekend, resulting in the escape of several well-known gang leaders and other inmates from the severely overcrowded facility, as confirmed by a senior police source.  

The prison accommodates some of the country’s most high-profile prisoners, including individuals indicted in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.

The breach occurred following a prolonged siege by gangs on the Port-au-Prince prison.

Concurrently, Prime Minister Ariel Henry was on a visit to Kenya, where he was finalizing an agreement for the deployment of a United Nations-supported Multinational Security Support mission to aid the Haiti National Police in combating gang-related violence that has plunged the country into turmoil.  

During his absence, violent gangs assaulted the capital, resulting in the deaths of at least five police officers after seizing a police station and prompting the suspension of international flights.

Following gunfire near the domestic and international airports on Thursday, American Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Haiti-based Sunrise Airways canceled flights.

International flights resumed the next day.

Amid ongoing attacks by gangs on Friday, the U.S. embassy issued a security alert cautioning American citizens about heavy gang-related gunfire in various parts of the capital and advising them to take safety measures.

These incidents represent a worsening of the already precarious security situation in Haiti, where more than 314,000 individuals have been displaced, with the numbers expected to rise due to the recent unrest. 

The National Penitentiary in downtown Port-au-Prince is Haiti’s most densely populated correctional facility.

Originally intended for 3,900 inmates, it currently houses 11,778 prisoners as of early January.

Among them are 18 Colombians implicated in the plot to assassinate Moise, as well as the late president’s palace security chief, Dimitri Herard, and security coordinator, Jean Laguel Civil, who was recently charged by a Haitian investigative judge in connection with the assassination.  

Gangs utilizing drones

On the same day, a video circulated online featuring aerial footage of the prison captured by a drone allegedly operated by Izo, the leader of the Baz 5 Segon gang.

A voice on the recording observed the prison grounds, noting the absence of police presence in the yard and signaling to gang members that they could proceed with their plan.

Another audio clip confirmed the breakout.

Izo also posted a drone video on TikTok showing the palace yard from atop an office building, where specialized police officers from the National Palace’s security unit were seen lying prone on the roof, while a voice taunted them, instructing them to continue firing at them.  

In response to a request for comment from the Miami Herald, a spokesperson for the Haiti National Police did not provide a statement, and the senior police source did not furnish further information.

Meanwhile, two Haitian police unions issued an SOS on X (formerly Twitter), urging officers to band together to safeguard prisons and key intersections, such as the road leading to the international airport.

Gang members, now displaying enhanced coordination and unity, had been attempting for months to breach the country’s primary penitentiary.  

Failed efforts to breach both the prison and the National Palace were reported on Friday, as the sound of automatic gunfire reverberated throughout the capital, with armed gangs persisting in targeting police officers and government installations.

Earlier in the week, ex-cop turned gang member Jimmy Cherizier, known as Barbecue, claimed responsibility for the recent surge in violence, asserting in an online video that the objective is to “overthrow” Henry and his administration. 

Source: Newsroom