PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti – The government of Haiti on Friday announced that it has sent 150 soldiers to Mexico for training in the latest effort to fight back gangs that have all but taken over the capital.
As Haiti seeks to revive its military, under the agreement between the two countries, 700 soldiers are to be trained in the Central American nation.
“This departure marks a historic milestone in the reconstruction of the Haitian Armed Forces and is part of a policy of strengthening national security capabilities,” Haiti’s government said. “It illustrates the government’s firm determination to restore … state authority throughout the country.”
From October 2024 to June 2025, more than 4,800 people across Haiti were killed by gang violence and according to the United Nations, hundreds more have been injured, kidnapped, raped and trafficked.
The Haitian soldiers will spend three months in Mexico. Once they return, they will join Haiti’s National Police in its fight against gangs, bolstered by Kenyan police officers leading a U.N.-backed mission.
Earlier this month, about 30 Haitian soldiers were sent to the French Caribbean island of Martinique for a two-week training. (CMC)
