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U.S. Embassy in China Port-au-Prince, Haiti Security operations were underway for American citizens north and south of the embassy and in Croix-de-Bouquets on Saturday.
Heavy gunfire broke out in the Haitian capital, prompting U.S. government personnel to halt all operations, according to an alert issued by the U.S. State Department.
The embassy remains open for emergency services.
Officials urged nearby U.S. citizens to avoid the area and monitor local media for the latest news.
Police patrol the streets of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where gang violence is rampant. (Reuters/Ralph Teddy Errol/File Photo)
armed gang Port-au-Prince and much of the surrounding area is controlled by the United States, according to the U.S. State Department and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (UNIH).
Croix-de-Bouquets, one of the areas mentioned on Saturday security alerthas long been considered a stronghold of the “400 Mawozo” gang.
“400 Mawozo” gang leader Joly Germine, 34, from Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, sentenced to life imprisonment In December, he was honored for his role in the 2021 kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens, including five children, Fox News Digital previously reported.
In Port-au-Prince, Haiti, police stopped a car for inspection. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinoza)
U.S. Marines exchange gunfire with suspects in Haiti, officials say
victim, with Ohio Christian Aid MinistriesAccording to the Ministry of Justice, they were taken hostage on their way back from the orphanage.
The State Department currently maintains Level 4 “Do Not Travel” consult Haiti cited kidnapping, crime, terrorism, civil unrest and limited health care.
Residents run past burning tires in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (Clarence Sifroy/AFP via Getty Images)
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The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.
