In Haiti, police began using FPV drones against local gangs: at least 300 people died

Haitian police have officially confirmed the use of FPV drones loaded with explosives to attack armed gangs in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The target was, in particular, one of the gangs’ key leaders, Vittel’homme Innocent, for whose capture the US announced a reward of $2 million.

This is reported by The New York Times.

Videos released by the police show drones targeting positions of the Viv Ansanm coalition, which controls over 80% of the capital and is responsible for a series of attacks on government institutions, police stations, and prisons.

This morning I received this video showing our seminary building in Haiti being hit by a drone flown by forces opposing the gang that took control of our campus. I have fond memories of teaching in the very classroom it struck. pic.twitter.com/wGINUhZ2iP

— Luke Perkins (@LukeAPerkins) June 16, 2025

Despite aggressive tactics, government forces have not achieved strategic success: most territories remain under the control of gangs, and none of the leaders have yet been eliminated or arrested.

Making matters worse, these drone attacks are often carried out by private military contractors, and officials refuse to comment on them.

The international community was quick to react. The Canadian Mounted Police, which provided the equipment and trained the operators, strongly condemned such actions, stating that they were contrary not only to domestic law, but also to international human rights law.

Human rights activists say drone strikes have killed at least 300 people in recent weeks, many of them civilians. Legal experts say the country’s authorities have no legitimate right to use lethal force without declaring an armed conflict.

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