U.S. Marines guarding the U.S. Embassy in Haiti dodged bullets Thursday from suspected gang members days before gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier reportedly threatened violence.
The Marines protecting the embassy in Port-au-Prince exchanged gunfire Thursday with suspected gang members, U.S. Marines spokesperson Capt. Steven J. Keenan confirmed via email, The Associated Press (AP) reported. None of the Marines were injured in the attack. Haitian police did not immediately comment on the incident to the AP.
The gunfire preceded a recent video from Chérizier warning people to stay home on Nov. 17 so they wouldn’t “become victims” to violence, according to a translation of a report by KAPZY News
“In a video released on the evening of November 15, 2025, Jimmy Cherisier, alias ‘Barbecue,’ presenting himself as the president and spokesperson of ‘Viv Ansanm,’ a group designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, urged the population to stay home starting Monday, November 17, ‘so as not to become victims.’ He claims that the battle has now begun and that members of ‘Viv Ansanm’ will occupy the streets to confront the police,” the video’s translated caption reads.
The U.S. Embassy issued a security alert Nov. 17 saying they were cutting staffing amid increased security operations in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. Alleged threats from gangs convinced United Nations (UN) security to direct staff in Haiti to work remotely, a spokesperson confirmed to Fox News.
The nation’s gang suppression force — made up of Haitian National Police, military and a security unit led by Kenya — carried out operations last week that targeted 400 Mawozo and Chen Mechan gangs, their leadership and their bases, the Miami Herald reported. Leaders of Viv Ansanm allegedly threatened to shut down the nation following these security efforts.
The U.S. State Department designated Viv Ansanmn and Gran Grif as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) by the U.S. State Department on May 2, 2025. (RELATED: Trump-Aligned Private Military Boss Deploying Forces To Haiti For 10 Years)
Gangs hold sway over 90% of the Haitian capital, frequently extorting businesses and waging war against each other, according to the AP.
