Published Saturday, 14 November 2026, 1:45 a.m. ET · Sources: Human Rights Watch; Haitian news reports of 13 and 14 November
Haiti’s government has used armed drones, small flying machines that carry explosives, against gangs for more than a year. The Task Force that flies them is a special police unit; Martissant is a district on the southern edge of the capital that gangs have long contested.
Strong explosions were heard in central Port-au-Prince on Friday evening, 13 November 2026, and Haitian news reports link them to police drone use against gangs in Martissant, a district on the capital’s southern edge. No death toll had been published by Saturday morning.
One Haitian news report said the Haitian National Police’s Task Force, a special unit that flies explosive drones, had launched them at Martissant. A regional report published on Saturday also said police were deploying explosive drones there and gave no damage assessment.
Security forces also kept a presence in several parts of the capital during the day. Salvadoran soldiers, sent by El Salvador to help fight Haiti’s gangs, continued to guard Sylvio Cator Stadium, the national football stadium in the city centre; see our earlier report on the stadium.
The Raid Three Days Earlier
A Haitian news site reported that police units, backed by other security forces, carried out an operation in Martissant on Tuesday 10 November 2026. It said the use of explosive drones caused panic in Martissant and neighbouring Carrefour, and that armed gangs then raised barricades on several roads; we could not confirm that account independently.
Port-au-Prince and its bay seen from a hillside in September 2008, a file photo. (Photo: U.S. Navy, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)What Human Rights Watch Has Counted
Human Rights Watch (HRW), a New York-based rights group, said on 10 March 2026 that at least 1,243 people were killed in 141 drone operations in Haiti between 1 March 2025 and 21 January 2026, and 738 were injured. It said the dead included at least 43 adults who were reportedly not gang members and 17 children.
HRW said the United Nations office in Haiti has attributed the drone attacks to the Task Force created by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, which operates with support from Vectus Global, a private military company. HRW also said the US ambassador to Haiti confirmed that the US State Department licensed Vectus Global to export defence services to Haiti.
What It Means for US Readers
Haiti lies about 700 miles from Miami, and the US link to this campaign is direct: the State Department licence for the contractor behind the programme, as the ambassador confirmed to HRW. HRW’s count of 1,243 deaths in under 11 months is the most detailed public tally we found, and it ends in January 2026.
The wider picture is in our report on violence in Haiti and our guide to what is happening in Haiti.
What Is Not Known
No death toll, damage report or police statement on the 13 November operation had been published by Saturday morning. The headline of one Haitian report says bandits were killed and helicopters flew over several gang strongholds; its visible text describes neither, so we do not state them as fact.
It is also unclear whether the 13 November blasts were separate from the 10 November raid or part of one campaign. Readers can follow more coverage on our Haiti page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in Port-au-Prince on 13 November 2026?
Strong explosions were heard in central Port-au-Prince on Friday evening, and local reports tie them to police drones at Martissant. No toll had been published by Saturday morning.
Who operates the explosive drones in Haiti?
HRW said the UN office in Haiti attributes the drone attacks to a police Task Force created by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, which works with Vectus Global, a private military company.
How many people have drone strikes killed in Haiti?
HRW counted at least 1,243 people killed and 738 injured in 141 operations between 1 March 2025 and 21 January 2026. That count does not cover later strikes.
Sources: Human Rights Watch, “Haiti: Drone Strikes Put Residents at Risk”, 10 March 2026; Haitian and regional news reports of 12, 13 and 14 November 2026 on police operations in Port-au-Prince.