The deployment of armed drones and foreign mercenaries by Vectus Global, a private military firm led by Erik Prince, has sparked alarm across Haiti and the international community. The operation, reportedly underway since March 2025, aims to combat gang violence and restore fiscal control, but has raised serious concerns over transparency, legality, and human rights.

Prince confirmed to Reuters that Vectus Global has signed a 10-year agreement with Haiti’s interim government. The mission has two primary objectives:

1. Combat gang violence by deploying drones, weapons, and nearly 200 foreign personnel, including snipers and intelligence specialists from the U.S., Europe, and El Salvador. The goal is to reclaim territory and secure major roads, particularly the route from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haitien.
2. Rebuild Haiti’s tax collection system, especially at the border with the Dominican Republic, where gang control has crippled customs revenue—once responsible for half of the country’s tax income.

Prince stated, “One key measure of success for me will be when you can drive from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haitien in a thin-skinned vehicle and not be stopped by gangs”.

Despite the scale of the operation, no Haitian official has publicly confirmed the contract. Former Transitional Council President Fritz Alphonse Jean, who held office during the reported start of Vectus Global’s activities, denied any knowledge of the deal. He warned that such an agreement, if real, would violate Haiti’s institutional norms and require public debate and ministerial approval.

Jean’s denial is especially notable given that Vectus Global reportedly began operations during his tenure, in coordination with a task force led by Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. The recent appointment of Laurent Saint-Cyr, a private sector representative, as CPT president has further fueled speculation about the deal’s legitimacy.

Vectus Global’s use of armed drones and lethal operations has drawn criticism from rights groups and legal experts. The Center for Human Rights Analysis and Research in Haiti warned that such tactics risk escalating violence and undermining national sovereignty. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime stated that the operation may violate U.S. law unless explicitly authorized by Washington.

Prince’s previous company, Blackwater, was accused of war crimes, including the 2007 Nisour Square massacre in Baghdad. Four employees were convicted, though later pardoned by President Trump. Prince sold Blackwater in 2010 but has remained active in the private security industry.

The Vectus Global operation is separate from the UN-backed Multinational Security Support Mission, led by Kenyan forces and funded by the U.S. That mission, approved in October 2023, has struggled to make progress, with only 991 personnel deployed out of the 2,500 envisioned, and just 14% of its $800 million budget secured.

Observers warn that outsourcing national security to private firms could fragment authority, complicate international coordination, and erode public trust. The lack of transparency and oversight has prompted calls for parliamentary inquiry and international review.

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