The New York Times broke the story: the Haitian government has signed a contract with Erik Prince, founder of the private military company Blackwater — a U.S.-based private military firm known for its mercenary operations in Iraq and Afghanistan on behalf of the U.S. government. According to the outlet, Prince is known to be close to Donald Trump.
Still according to the same source, Erik Prince has reportedly been operating armed drones in Haiti since March 2025. A force of 150 mercenaries and a cache of weapons are expected to reinforce local forces.
“Although the U.S. is aware of his activities, the contract remains opaque,” reports The New York Times. Many see this militarized approach to the Haitian crisis as a troubling shift.
