Haiti to Deploy 200 Personnel from Vectus Global to Combat Gang Violence

Blackwater founder Erik Prince's security firm, Vectus Global, will deploy nearly 200 personnel from various countries to Haiti to quell gang violence. The one-year deal aims to help Haiti recover seized territory and restore revenue collection capabilities. The deployment may violate US law unless the US government has given permission. A Trump administration official said the US has no involvement in the hiring or funding of the contract.

Erik Prince's security firm, Vectus Global, is set to deploy nearly 200 personnel from various countries to Haiti in an effort to quell gang violence and restore the country's territorial control and revenue collection capabilities. The one-year deal, which aims to secure major roads and territories from criminal groups, has raised concerns among human rights advocates and observers.

Prince, the founder of Blackwater, has struck a 10-year agreement with the Haitian government to intensify security operations and eventually take on a role in the country's tax-collection system. According to Reuters, the deployment will include snipers, intelligence and communications specialists, helicopters, and boats [2]. The move follows a series of drone strikes and security force operations that have led to the deaths of over 1,500 people in Port-au-Prince since April [1].

Critics have expressed alarm over the use of private military contractors to combat Haitian crime groups. Jake Johnston, the author of "Aid State: Elite Panic, Disaster Capitalism, and the Battle to Control Haiti," argues that this deployment is another example of Haitian problems being "outsourced" to foreigners rather than strengthening local institutions such as the police [1]. Romain Le Cour, the head of the Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, believes the move will "deepen the strategic isolation" of Haitian police and the UN-backed security force [1].

The Haitian government has welcomed the international support, with the new transitional president, Laurent Saint-Cyr, inviting more international partners to increase their support and send more soldiers [2]. However, the crisis in Haiti has worsened in recent years, with armed gangs gaining territory and attacking key infrastructure, leading to food insecurity and displacement camps [2].

The deployment of Vectus Global may violate US law unless the US government has given permission. A Trump administration official stated that the US has no involvement in the hiring or funding of the contract [2]. The US government has not exercised any oversight over the private military contractor.

The use of private security firms to combat gang violence in Haiti raises questions about the wisdom of channeling resources to foreign companies instead of strengthening the country's own security forces. Gedeon Jean, head of Haiti’s Center for Human Rights Analysis and Research, warned against large spending on a foreign company while Haiti's own security forces lack funds and equipment [2].

References:
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/14/erik-prince-blackwater-haiti
[2] https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-ally-erik-prince-plans-keep-personnel-haiti-10-years-fight-gangs-collect-2025-08-14/