Foreign Minister warns U.N. of Haitian gangs advancing toward Dominican border

New York.- Dominican Foreign Minister Roberto Álvarez alerted the United Nations Security Council about the growing presence of Haitian armed groups dangerously close to the Dominican-Haitian border. He emphasized that the Dominican government has officially designated these gangs as terrorist organizations due to their increasing criminal coordination and threat level.

Álvarez reported that on April 9, Haitian gangs seized control of Mirebalais, where the Dominican Consulate was located. Fortunately, consulate staff had already been safely evacuated. In response to the heightened threat, the Dominican Republic has raised its alert level and deployed 1,500 additional troops to the border, joining the 9,500 already stationed there. Immigration enforcement and anti-trafficking efforts have also been intensified.

Highlighting the severity of the crisis, Álvarez noted that Haitian gangs are often better armed than the Haitian National Police, with weapons trafficked through criminal-controlled private ports. He referenced the recent interception of 36,000 rounds of ammunition and smuggled firearms destined for Haiti. The minister called for urgent international cooperation, backing the UN Secretary-General’s two-track strategy to strengthen the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) and establish a UN-run logistical support office. Álvarez concluded with a stark warning: failure to act swiftly risks turning Haiti’s crisis into a regional conflict.