The Haitian National Police (PNH) reports significant progress in the fight against insecurity and armed gangs that have plagued Haiti for several years, during a press conference held this Monday, January 12, 2026.
The Human Toll
According to the report released by Konbit Pour la Paix et le Développement, operations conducted in downtown Port-au-Prince between January 1 and 11, 2026, resulted in 116 deaths and 65 serious injuries. Among those killed, 64 were presumed members of armed groups, while 52 were civilians, including eight adolescents and eight women, caught in the crossfire in several targeted neighborhoods.
Regarding law enforcement, the Haitian National Police (PNH) clarified that Ernso Fleurimond, killed in La Saline, was not a police officer but a volunteer sympathizer working with the police. His injured brother is an administrative employee of the PNH.
The institution's communication officials, Inspector General Frantz Lerebours, Director of Communication, and Divisional Commissioner Michel Ange Louis Jeune, Deputy Director, presented the objectives, results, and assessment of recent police operations.
Operational Objectives
According to Inspector General Frantz Lerebours, the actions of the Haitian National Police (PNH) are based on three major objectives:
- creating favorable conditions for the free movement of goods, merchandise, and people,
- freeing national roads from the grip of armed gangs, and
- enabling the safe return of displaced populations to their neighborhoods and homes.
“What is most important to us is the safety of the population, that they feel well and secure,” emphasized the Inspector General.
Initial Results
For his part, Divisional Commissioner Michel Ange Louis Jeune explained that the recent results of the Haitian National Police (PNH) fall into three main categories:
- halting the territorial expansion of gangs,
- reclaiming certain previously occupied territories,
- and seizing weapons, ammunition, and sensitive equipment.
He also noted that the country experienced, for the first time in four to five years, relatively secure year-end holidays.
As part of the fight against arms and ammunition trafficking, several operations led to significant seizures. On January 5, 2026, in Quartier-Morin, agents from the Anti-Drug Trafficking Bureau (BLTS), supported by customs and local authorities, seized 9 9mm caliber pistols, 9 magazines, 5,500 7.62 caliber cartridges, and made three arrests.
On December 30, 2025, in Cap-Haïtien, police recovered two 9mm caliber pistols, an AK-47 rifle, and 36 boxes of cartridges, estimated at 1,800 7.62 caliber rounds, with the arrest of an individual identified as Jean Marie C. Telusma.
Furthermore, several operations, particularly in Bel-Air, led to the seizure of a significant arsenal, including M16 and M14 rifles, 12-gauge shotguns, communication radios, bulletproof and tactical vests, uniforms from various units of the Haitian National Police (PNH), as well as thousands of cartridges of various calibers. A drone and equipment used to impersonate police officers or journalists were also recovered.
Actions in Perfect Coordination
The PNH indicates that joint operations with the Task Force, particularly in Bel-Air, La Saline, Arcahaie (Bercy), led to the destruction of an illegal toll booth, and that several bandits were fatally wounded, without providing exact figures, while reaffirming its objective to restore public order and state authority.
In total, the Haitian National Police (PNH) reports having seized 7,300 rounds of ammunition during raids against arms trafficking, and 4,459 cartridges, 17 assault rifles, and 16 long guns during police operations.
According to Michel Ange Louis Jeune, the Centre and Artibonite departments are beginning to regain calm, while Kenscoff has been stabilized, allowing for the gradual resumption of commercial activities. He notes a decrease in criminal incursions and an increase in police interventions in several sensitive neighborhoods, including Bel-Air, downtown, Delmas, and Wharf Jérémie.
The Haitian National Police reaffirms its determination to maintain and intensify its operations, believing that this strategy yields concrete results and must continue.
Jean Wesley Pierre/ Le Relief
