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Haiti sends 150 soldiers to Mexico for training in bid to reclaim territory from gangs
Haiti has deployed 150 soldiers to Mexico for military training, as part of a broader plan to rebuild its armed forces and combat gangs that now dominate much of the capital, the Haitian government announced on Friday.
The deployment is part of a bilateral agreement that will see 700 Haitian soldiers trained in Mexico as the country seeks to strengthen its national security apparatus.
'This departure marks a historic milestone in the reconstruction of the Haitian Armed Forces and is part of a policy of strengthening national security capabilities,' Haiti's government said. 'It illustrates the government's firm determination to restore … state authority throughout the country.'
From October 2024 to June 2025, more than 4,800 people across Haiti were killed by gang violence. Hundreds more have been injured, kidnapped, raped and trafficked, according to the United Nations.
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The Haitian soldiers will spend three months in Mexico. Upon their return, they will join Haiti's National Police in its fight against gangs, bolstered by Kenyan police officers leading a sparsely funded U.N.-backed mission.
Earlier this month, about 30 Haitian soldiers were sent to the French Caribbean island of Martinique for a two-week training.
Haiti's armed forces were disbanded in 1995 following a coup to oust former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The once-feared army had long been accused of horrific human rights abuses and were involved in several coups.
In 2017, the army was reinstated by slain President Jovenel Moïse after the U.N. ended its peacekeeping operations.
In recent years, the army has been recruiting young people to bolster its numbers. In 2023, there were roughly 2,000 soldiers, compared with some 7,000 when the army was disbanded. Newer figures were not available.
With inputs from agencies
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