The U.S. Chargé d’Affaires, Henry P. Wooster, provided a brief radiography of Haiti’s situation during a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. The diplomat highlighted the gangs’ capabilities compared to those of the Haitian National Police (PNH), the ongoing response that will culminate in the deployment of the Gang Suppression Force, and the need to address economic problems that fuel violence in the country.

“The immediate threat to the survival of the Haitian State is a coalition of about twenty armed and hostile organizations, abusively referred to as ‘gangs,’ which — as the Secretary of State recalled during his January 28 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — threaten to provoke a systemic collapse (…) The total gang population is estimated at around 12,000 individuals, of whom nearly 3,000 are particularly well-armed, experienced, and represent the most serious threat. By comparison, the Haitian National Police (PNH) has approximately 6,000 registered officers, of whom at most 400 — and often fewer — are actually engaged in combat,” said Henry P. Wooster, recalling that in “2025, the United States designated Viv ansanm and Gran grif as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO). Their actions now resemble those of proto-insurrectional movements.”