PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — In a significant confrontation, a high-ranking member of one of Haiti’s prominent gangs suffered injuries during a clash with police forces from Haiti and Kenya. This incident marks the first substantial effort by law enforcement to penetrate areas dominated by gangs since the commencement of a U.N.-endorsed mission earlier this year. According to reports from the Haitian National Police, the individual known as “Deshommes,” who serves as the second-in-command of the Kraze Baryè gang, was shot in Torcelle, a neighborhood under the gang’s control in the southeastern section of Port-au-Prince.
During the police operations that unfolded over the weekend and into Monday, approximately 20 gang members were reported killed, alongside the seizure of firearms, munitions, mobile phones, and various “sensitive materials and equipment.” Despite these measures, authorities disclosed that no arrests were made, and they have not clarified how they confirmed Deshommes’ injury.
The police have stated that their offensive actions will persist until the gang, along with its leader Vitel’Homme Innocent, are successfully incapacitated. In a public statement, the Kenyan forces managing the mission urged Innocent to cease his violent acts against vulnerable Haitians. They emphasized that the operation serves as a stern warning to notable gang leaders to put an end to their heinous practices, which include sexual violence, extortion, abductions, and various forms of murder.
Innocent, who has already faced sanctions from the U.S., the European Union, and the U.N. Security Council, is also the target of a $2 million bounty offered by U.S. authorities for information leading to his arrest. He has been implicated in the armed kidnapping of 16 Christian missionaries in 2021, as well as the murder of missionary Marie Franklin and the kidnapping of her husband the following year.
Recently, Innocent released a video in which he appeared beside a burnt armored vehicle, which police had to abandon during one of their raids due to mechanical failure. He contended that his gang did not pose a threat to law enforcement and accused them of inflicting harm on far too many innocent individuals. Furthermore, he asserted that they possess the ability to control who can enter or exit the areas they dominate.
The Kraze Baryè gang maintains an alliance with the G-Pèp gang federation and is in opposition to the G9 Family and Allies, a rival coalition led by former elite police officer Jimmy Chérizier, infamously referred to as Barbecue. With a membership estimated at around 600, Kraze Baryè exerts control over Tabarre and parts of both Pétionville and Croix-des-Bouquets. The gang has been implicated in numerous criminal activities, including homicides, narcotics and weapons trafficking, sexual assaults, and robberies, leading the U.N. to classify it as “one of the most formidable gangs” operating in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince.
Kenyan officials have assured that efforts will maintain relentless pressure on these gangs until they either surrender to the authorities or face significant opposition. Additionally, they confirmed that law enforcement operations remain active in the central town of Pont-Sondé, where another gang claimed the lives of at least 115 people earlier this month.