Haitian security agents conducted a rare and very public aerial strike against the homes of top gang leader Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier, bombing a minimum of three homes in the Delmas 6 neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, a local Gazette Haiti reported. Footage making the rounds in social media platforms captured a huge explosion destroying a minimum of one house, while others were damaged in the blast, filling the neighborhood air with huge amounts of smoke.
Whether Cherizier was present in these locations is yet to be verified by the authorities. The Gazette Haiti revealed that police forces later entered the areas where the bombings had occurred and extracted equipment they suspected belonged to the armed groups operating under Cherizier’s control.
The strike is a manifestation of the escalated security response of Haiti, as the country is being tightened in the grip of the gangs while the Haiti transitional government is set to face a crucial political timeline.
Delmas 6 and the symbolic heart of gang control
Delmas 6 has long been regarded as one of Cherizier’s core strongholds. The neighborhood has served not only as a logistical base for armed groups but also as a symbolic center of resistance against the Haitian state. By targeting properties there, authorities appear to be sending a message that no area is off-limits, even those historically considered untouchable due to gang firepower and local support networks.
Hours before footage of the explosion emerged, Haiti’s National Police (PNH) confirmed it was conducting an operation aimed at Cherizier’s residence in Delmas 6. The statement marked a rare instance in which police publicly acknowledged a direct strike against the gang leader himself, rather than lower-level operatives.
Who is Jimmy “barbecue” cherizier?
Cherizier, 48, is a former police officer who has transformed himself into the most recognizable face of Haiti’s gang landscape. He leads Viv Ansanm (“Living Together”), a powerful coalition that unites most major armed groups in Port-au-Prince. Over the past year, Viv Ansanm has coordinated attacks on police stations, prisons, infrastructure, and government offices, effectively paralyzing large parts of the capital.
Sanctioned by both the United Nations and the United States, Cherizier is accused of orchestrating several massacres in impoverished neighborhoods, including killings in La Saline, Bel-Air, and Cité Soleil. The US State Department has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or capture.
Despite his criminal record, Cherizier has attempted to rebrand himself as an anti-elite revolutionary, frequently giving interviews in which he denounces Haiti’s political class and foreign interference. In recent months, he has gone further, suggesting that Viv Ansanm could evolve into a political movement or party—a claim widely dismissed by analysts but indicative of his ambition to convert armed power into political leverage.
A joint operation with unprecedented coordination
According to statements by the police, this time the operation on Wednesday included an uncharacteristic range of participants: the Haitian National Police, Haitian Armed Forces contingents, the UN-established Gang Suppression Force, security forces loyal to the prime minister, as well as a private security company.
The alleged fact that the task force has been engaging in drone-related missions with explosives for almost a year is a major change to Haiti’s methods of dealing with gangs. The utilizations of these drones, especially within the urban areas, highlight the Haitian government’s reliance on asymmetrical strategies to mitigate their human resources deficit.
The company, Vectus Global, is apparently led by Erik Prince, who is the founder of Blackwater, and since the early year last year, the company was undertaking the task of providing surveillance and strike services to the Haitian government using drones, which is quite controversial.
Echoes of past Haitian security offensives
While dramatic, the strike fits into a longer history of Haitian security operations against armed groups—most of which have produced limited or temporary results.
During the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) period of 2005-2007, the Brazilian-led peacekeeping forces implemented major military campaigns within Cité Soleil to dismantle gangs supporting former president Jean-Bertrand Aristide. While these military activities successfully weakened the gangs, they caused considerable numbers of civilian deaths and even led to the resurgence of armed groups once foreign troops had left.
More recently, in 2021 and 2022, there were large-scale police raids in Martissant and Village-de-Dieu, two neighborhoods controlled by rival gangs, which were publicized as major victories but ultimately ended in failure due to a lack of planning and inability to occupy territory after initial attacks.
Analysts note that Haiti’s security forces have repeatedly demonstrated a capacity to strike, but not to sustain control—allowing gang leaders to regroup, adapt, and retaliate.
Political timing and mounting pressure
The military action is timely since it is coming only a few weeks before the expiry of the mandate of the transitional government in Haiti, which is set to expire on February 7. There is no clear plan for the succession of the current government yet.
Violence in gangs has come to be perceived by authorities as a threat to the existence of the state, with gangs now controlling or fighting over an estimated 70–80% of Port-au-Prince. Even ports, fuel depots, major roads, and entry into the airport have come under gang control on several occasions.
In this respect, targeting Cherizier’s properties has both security and political aspects. The attack not only aims to provide security for citizens but also conveys a message of determination to residents as well as foreign nations that have concerns about persistent insecurity.
