US Warship Approaches Haiti, Allegedly to Combat Drug Gangs

JAKARTA - US military officials said their country's warships had arrived off the coast of Haiti.

"USS Stockdale, USCGC Stone, and USCGC Diligence entered Port-au-Prince Bay to reflect the United States' unwavering commitment to Haiti's security, stability, and brighter future," the US Embassy in Haiti wrote via its X social media account, Wednesday, February 4.

The warship was sent at the direction of US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as part of "Operation Southern Spear".

AFP reported that the operation referred to the US military campaign targeting suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific, which has so far killed more than 100 people by destroying ships.

After facing years of violence and instability, Haiti is entering a new phase of political turmoil ahead of the official term of the Haitian Presidential Transition Council ending on February 7.

Gang violence forced the resignation of the previous Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, in 2024.

Haiti has also never held general elections since 2016, with the instability of the government making most of the country's territory experiencing overlapping security, health, and economic crises.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, much of which is under the control of rival gangs that regularly commit murder, rape, and kidnapping.

Officials in Haiti who the US accuses of supporting gangs have been subject to new visa restrictions recently.