Dozens of Haitians killed by police, corporate drones last year, Human Rights Watch says

Drones used by Haiti’s security forces and private contractors have killed at least 1,243 people and wounded 738 in less than a year, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.

Of these dead, 17 were children and 43 were adults who are believed to be members of a gang. Of those injured, at least 49 are believed to be civilians, according to the rights group. The murders occurred between March 1, 2025, and Jan. 21, 2026.

The deadliest drone campaign killed 57 people, it noted.

“Haitian authorities must take immediate action against the security forces and the private contractors who work for them before more children die,” said Juanita Goebertus, Americas director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement.

A spokesman for the Haitian National Police did not respond to a request for comment.

The non-profit organization said the number of armed drone attacks in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, which is 90 percent controlled by gangs, had “increased dramatically” in recent months, with 57 reported between November and the end of January, almost double the 29 reported from August to October last year.

Human Rights Watch said its researchers analyzed seven videos uploaded to social media or shared directly by the group showing the operation of armed quadcopters and placed four of them in Port-au-Prince.

“Videos show the repeated use of drones with explosives to attack vehicles and people, some of them armed, but none appear to be carrying out acts of violence or life-threatening,” the group said.

Human Rights Watch said it does not find widespread use of drones among criminal groups.

Another attack highlighted in the report took place on 20 September 2025, in the Simon Pele area, a very poor community controlled by a gang of the same name.

This drone attack killed nine people, including three children, and injured at least eight others as the leader of the Simon Pele gang was preparing to distribute gifts to children in the area.

Among those killed is a six-year-old girl, whose unknown mother was quoted as saying, “In places where gangs exist, there are innocent people, people who raise their children, who follow normal ways.”

The families of those killed said that this gang organized and controlled access to their funerals, according to Human Rights Watch.

“Some residents said that only people who receive money or support from the gang are allowed to attend the funeral,” said the organization in its report.

“Authorities must also ensure transparency and accountability for any unlawful deaths caused by security operations, and conduct prompt, thorough and independent investigations to reveal, as far as possible, the number and identity of victims, and provide adequate compensation where violations have occurred.”

Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, said the use of lethal force against gangs in Haiti was unnecessary, disproportionate and possibly a violation of international law.

Last year, the Haitian government created a new task force that operated without the supervision of the Haitian national police and used explosive drones. The task force is made up of some police agencies and private contractors.

By mid-2025, Vectus Global, the security firm of controversial former Blackwater founder Erik Prince, is expected to send nearly 200 international workers to Haiti as part of a one-year deal to end gang violence there.

Haitian police also work alongside a UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police who remain underfunded and understaffed. It is soon expected to evolve into a so-called pressure gang in the coming months.

Gang violence has played a role in halting the prosecution of 20 people, including 17 Colombian soldiers and three Haitian officials, who are facing charges in Haiti to assassinate president Jovenel Moïse in 2021. The investigation has been halted several times by the resignation of judges who feared for their lives, and in 2024 powerful criminals took control of the Port-au-Prince city court.

Although the case is stalled in Haiti, opening statements are expected to begin on Tuesday in a US state court by four defendants facing charges of conspiracy in South Florida to kidnap or kill a former Haitian leader, and related charges, after a jury was selected the previous day. Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla and James Solages each face life sentences.

Christian Sanon was also due to go on trial in Miami, but his lawyer confirmed on Monday that Sanon’s case was separated from the others for medical reasons. A separate trial for Sanon will be scheduled for a later date.

According to court documents, South Florida served as a central location for planning and financing a plot to overthrow Moïse and replace him with one of the conspirators.

A trial against all five defendants was scheduled for last year, but a judge agreed to postpone the case due to discovery challenges and overwhelming evidence.