World News – Donald Trump ally and private security executive Erik Prince says his company will remain in Haiti for the next decade under an agreement with the Haitian government. Prince, the founder of the controversial Blackwater security firm, told Reuters that his firm, Vectus Global, will not only take on Haiti’s powerful gangs but will also oversee future tax collection once order is restored.
Prince outlined a plan to secure the nation’s main roads within a year, aiming to make travel between Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien safe from gang blockades. The deal also calls for Vectus to design a system for taxing imports from the Dominican Republic, a revenue stream that once accounted for half of Haiti’s tax base before gang control disrupted trade.
According to sources familiar with the arrangement, Vectus intends to bring in several hundred trained fighters from the U.S., Europe, and El Salvador, along with helicopters, boats, and drones. The company’s forces will target criminal groups that have seized large areas of territory and strategic transport routes.
Prince, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, has advised other governments on gang suppression and resource security. His previous company, Blackwater, was forced to rebrand after contractors were convicted of killing civilians in Baghdad in 2007—an incident that drew international condemnation. The men involved were later pardoned by Trump.
Haiti’s security crisis has escalated sharply in recent years. Armed groups have been accused of kidnappings, massacres, extortion, and attacks on hospitals and police stations. The violence has worsened food insecurity, disrupted trade, and left thousands displaced, with more than 8,000 people facing famine-level hunger.
Human rights advocates have raised alarms over the reliance on private military contractors, warning of the potential for abuses and questioning whether such operations are sustainable. Critics also argue that resources should be directed toward strengthening Haiti’s own security forces rather than outsourcing to foreign firms.
U.S. officials have distanced themselves from the deal, telling Reuters that Washington has no role in or oversight of Prince’s work in Haiti. Meanwhile, Laurent Saint-Cyr, the newly inaugurated head of Haiti’s transitional council, has called for broader international support to help combat the gangs.
By The Haitian Tribune – Adopted from a report originally published by Reuters and the Midtown Times.
