Strategic Control of Trade Routes
As gangs expand, they entrench themselves along key transit routes in and out of Port-au-Prince and near the Dominican Republic border.
These corridors are used for drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, and extortion.
"There's been a big increase of gangs fighting for control of key roads and junctions. Why?
Because they're money-making," said William O'Neill, the UN expert on human rights in Haiti.
The UN warned in December that Haiti was becoming a central hub for international drug trafficking.
Cocaine shipments from South America arrive via remote airstrips or boats, then move through the Dominican Republic to Europe and North America.
Artibonite, known as Haiti's breadbasket, has become a key target.
It produces much of the nation's food and hosts critical transport routes connecting the capital to the north.
The Sud-Est region is also emerging as a concern, with seven gang-related incidents in early 2026, compared to just one in 2018.
In April, at least nine people were killed in what rights groups call the region's first significant massacre linked to the widening conflict.
"Port-au-Prince gangs appear to be expanding into Sud-Est, where they face less pressure from law enforcement," said Sandra Pellegrini, senior Latin American analyst at ACLED.
Since late 2025, Haitian police, supported by foreign personnel and private security contractors, have intensified operations against gang strongholds in the capital.
Some gang leaders have moved to rural areas to avoid drone strikes, O'Neill said.
At least 1,243 people were killed in 141 drone-strike operations between March 2025 and January 2026, according to Human Rights Watch.
With security focused on Port-au-Prince, large parts of the country have limited protection.
The Multinational Security Support mission, led by Kenyan police, left Haiti in April.
A new UN-backed Gang Suppression Force is expected to take over, but will not reach full strength until autumn.
Experts say gangs are exploiting the transition.
"The gangs are trying to test capacity and willingness," O'Neill said. "They are acting more aggressively to see what the reaction will be."
Impunity compounds the problem.
"Impunity is why the violence continues to worsen every day," said Ulrick Tintin, director of legal affairs at Défenseurs Plus.
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Few gang leaders are arrested or prosecuted. "There is no life in Haiti," Espérance said.
