UNODC Security Council Quarterly Report (2026-01)

United Nations S /2026/32 Security Council Distr.: General 15 January 2026 Original: English 25 - 21208 (E) 2 3 0126 *2521208* Letter dated 14 January 2026 from the Secretary - General addressed to the President of the Security Council I have the honour to transmit the tenth quarterly report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, pursuant to paragraph 9 of Security Council resolution 2692 (2023) as renewed by the Council in paragraph 19 of its resolution 2743 (2024) and in its subsequent resolution, 2785 (2025) . The report includes the requested updated information on the sources and routes of arms trafficking and illicit financial flows and on relevant United Nations activities and recommendations. I should be grateful if you would bring the present document to the attention of the members of the Security Council and request its publication as a document of the Council. ( Signed ) António Guterres S/2026/32 25 - 21208 2 / 20 I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to paragraph 9 of Security Council resolution 2692 (2023) as renewed by the Council in paragraph 19 of its resolution 2743 (2024) and in resolution 2785 (2025) . Specifically, the Council tasked the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with reporting to it every three months, concurrently with the reporting cycle of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), through the Secretary - General, on sources and routes of illicit arms and financial flows and on relevant United Nations activities and recommendations. UNODC has submitted nine reports to the Council since July 2023. 1 2. In the present report, which covers developments between October and December 2025, UNODC offers a comprehensive assessment of the evolution of criminal networks, illicit markets and security dynamics in Haiti between 2022 and 2025, drawing on sources from across that period, especially UNODC reports submitted pursuant to paragraph 9 of Security Council resolution 2692 (2023) and reports from the Panel of Experts on Haiti established pursuant to Council resolution 2653 (2022) . It also examines the implications of this emerging criminal ecosystem for peace, security, human rights and development in Haiti and the wider region. 3. On the basis of its analysis, UNODC finds that criminal networks have shifted from largely opportunistic predatory gang activity to more structured forms of territorial control and integration into transnational illicit markets. Armed gangs have consolidated into federated coalitions that exercise control or influence over significant parts of the national territory, operating as criminal structures engaged in multiple illicit activities, including arms and drug trafficking, fuel smuggling, m igrant explo itation, extortion and other unlawful activities. Violence is deployed strategically not only to extract rents, but also to expand influence, contest authority in areas under formal State administration and enforce coercive systems of criminal control. Arm ed gangs are thereby systematically eroding trust in the operational capacity of State institutions, disrupting the delivery of essential public services and deepening insecurity at the local, national and regional levels (see S/2025/420 ). 4. These dynamics are embedded within regional trafficking and financial networks linking Haiti to the wider Caribbean and the Americas. In the report, UNODC highlights the role of arms trafficking, illicit financial flows, weak oversight of private security actors and the instrumentalization of political discourse in sustaining the criminal control system. The report also serves to identify starting points for national, regional and international responses, including the implementation of the arms embargo, th e disruption of trafficking and money - laundering networks, the strengthening of State institutions and the protection of populations affected by gang violence and associated human rights abuses (see S/2024/79 ) . II. Consolidation of gang and criminal networks 5. The criminal landscape of Haiti has undergone a profound transformation over the past decade, with armed gangs expanding in number, territorial reach and political influence. Gangs that previously operated mainly as fragmented neighbourhood vigilante group s have coalesced into large criminal coalitions that exercise sustained territorial control, exploit transport routes and economic hubs for extortion and carry out coordinated operations against State and rival actors. What was once __________________ 1 See www.unodc.org/unodc/firearms/haiti - report.html for a complete list of reports and submissions by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). S/2026/32 3 / 20 25 - 21208 predominantly localized and episodic urban violence has evolved into a system of criminal control , in which armed gangs regulate access to physical spaces, services and livelihoods for much of the population in areas under their control or influence (see S/2024/554 ). 2 6. Haitian gang structures expanded rapidly after the La Saline massacre in 2018, which was described widely in United Nations reporting and by human rights organizations as the worst in decades and emblematic of growing collaboration between political and ec onomic elites and armed gangs. 3 That expansion accelerated further after the assassination of the President, Jovenel Moïse, in July 2021, as criminal actors exploited the resulting power vacuum to seize control of an estimated 80 – 90 per cent of Port - au - Prince, extend into additional com munes and drive unprecedented increases in homicides, displacement and kidnappings for ransom. Armed gangs have consolidated their dominance over licit and illicit supply chains while acquiring increasingly sophisticated, military - grade weaponry that outma tches that of the Haitian National Police and enables more coordinated, large - scale operations. 4 7. From 2020 to 2024, two major federations – G9 Family and Allies and G - Pèp – dominated the criminal landscape. Early in 2024, a coalition called Viv Ansanm began to supersede this dual - bloc configuration, gradually integrating elements from both alliances w ith the aim of coordinating attacks and consolidating territorial control. 5 Viv Ansanm rapidly became the predominant platform for collective action, as is demonstrated most clearly by the synchronized assaults carried out since February 2024 on police stations, prisons, revenue collection infrastructure and the international air port. 6 Although rivalries persist, armed gangs routinely unite against Haitian and international security forces, pooling personnel, firepower and logistics. __________________ 2 See also www.unodc.org/documents/data - and - analysis/toc/Haiti_assessment_UNODC.pdf for a review. 3 See www.oas.org/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2019/305.asp . See also https://peacekeeping.un.org/fr/node/15004 and www.ohchr.org/fr/documents/country - reports/report - violent - events - 13 - and - 14 - november - la - saline - port - au - prince - 21 - june . 4 See www.oas.org/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2019/305.asp , www.unodc.org/unodc/firearms/haiti - report.html and www.crisisgroup.org/latin - america - caribbean/haiti/110 - undoing - haitis - deadly - gang - alliance . 5 See https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/content/viv - ansanm . 6 Ibid. S/2026/32 25 - 21208 4 / 20 Map 1 Gang territorial expansion, 2018 – 2024 S/2026/32 5 / 20 25 - 21208 Territorial expansion of gang networks 8. The consolidation of armed gangs into coordinated coalitions has enabled them to strengthen control over key districts of Port - au - Prince and to expand along peri - urban and rural corridors, where they operate illegal checkpoints, restrict movement and extort payments from those engaged in transport, commercial and humanitarian activities (see S/2024/79 ). Their territorial strategy prioritizes road networks, ports, fuel depots and border - adjacent municipalities in order to facilitate trafficking activities and extortion. Illicit income generation varies by location: in commercial hubs, such as Delmas 6, La Saline and Wharf Jérémie, gangs reportedly extort businesses and target public ports, utilities and infrastructure. In the transport corridors that are controlled by Baz Taliban, 400 M awozo and Gran Ravine, road users are also reportedly subjected to informal extortion . Armed gangs, such as 5 Segond, allegedly engage in similar practices along maritime routes. 7 In poorer communities, these armed gangs depend on other illegal practices, including kidnapping for ransom, extortion of residents and illicit trafficking markets. Their economic adaptability has helped them to sustain their financial stability and build resilient territorial control structures. 9. The consolidation of armed gangs into coordinated coalitions has not eliminated internal competition. Instead, it has generated a fluid and adaptive configuration in which armed gangs retain significant tactical autonomy while aligning whenever and whereve r it is expedient to do so, in accordance with broader strategic objectives (see S/2025/420 ). This pattern of episodic cooperation and competition is illustrated by __________________ 7 According to information collected by UNODC, illegal checkpoints established along national highways 1, 2, 4 and 8 have become strategic points for illegal tax collection to finance Viv Ansanm operations. See also previous UNODC reports pursuant to paragraph 9 of Security Council resolution 2692 (2023) . S/2026/32 25 - 21208 6 / 20 concrete examples. With regard to cooperation, 400 Mawozo and Baz Taliban have conducted joint operations in Saut d ’ Eau, Mirebalais and Lascahobas, including the dissemination of shared propaganda materials, such as music videos. 8 Leaders of Bel - Air, Ti Bwa and Delmas 6 have issued joint “peyi lòk” (nationwide shutdown) declarations on social media and reportedly fought side by side against rivals in Canapé Vert, Christ - Roi, Fort National and Solino. 9 Delmas 6 is alleged to have provided operational support to Kraze Barye, while 5 Segond and Baz Taliban reportedly exchanged personnel and ammunition in the Lafiteau and Moulins d ’ Haïti areas. 10 10. A number of armed gangs have resisted integration into broader alliances or engaged in violent competition over key strategic assets. Several gangs, such as Nan Boston and Wharf Jérémie, appear to be less aligned than others in Cité Soleil with the Viv Ans anm coalition. Specifically, Gran Ravine and 5 Segond clashed over control of a critical roadblock during the reporting period; Kafou Labatwa and Nèg Chabon have repeatedly fought one another; and Chen Mechan, Kraze Barye and 400 Mawozo continue to vie for dominance over Croix - des - Bouquets. Reporting indicates that the Bel - Air gang, led by Kempes Sanon, refused to comply with demands from 400 Mawozo to transfer hostages under its control. In response, the leader of 400 Mawozo, Wilson Joseph, also known as “ Lanmo San Jou”, reportedly sought support through Viv Ansanm, notably through Jimmy Cherizier, 11 and mobilized allied groups to pressure Bel - Air. 5 Segond, led by Johnson André, was reportedly tasked with supporting efforts to seize control of the area, resulting in the killing of several Bel - Air fighters. Subsequent reporting indicates that Kempes S anon was transferred to 400 Mawozo and subjected to an internal coercive process broadcast on social media, illustrating the extra - legal governance mechanisms exercised by gangs. 12 While inherently volatile, this federated model has strengthened the overall resilience of armed gangs. These armed gangs have repeatedly reconstituted themselves following arrests, targeted operations and leadership losses (see S/2024/704 ). 11. Since the beginning of the reporting period, criminal groups and armed gangs have applied the territorial expansion and income extraction practices used in Port - au - Prince to other areas of Haiti. For example, in Artibonite and Centre Departments, they have targeted key highways, coastal municipalities and strategic land border crossings. They have also established illegal checkpoi nts and systematically targeted open markets and critical supply chains, thereby deepening their coercive influence and, at t imes, control over local populations and commercial flows. Gangs affiliated with the Viv Ansanm coalition have extended their influence from coastal areas of Artibonite to border towns in Plateau Central, following east - west transportation __________________ 8 See www.miamiherald.com/news/nation - world/world/americas/haiti/article310445275.html and https://riskbulletins.globalinitiative.net/ht - obs - 002/01 - gangs - expansion - pressure - public - security - strategies.html . 9 Several videos of gang leaders talking together about their attacks, strategies and the enactment of “peyi lòk” have been published on social media. 10 Information received by a UNODC officer during meetings on the dynamics of criminal groups in Haiti, organized with several United Nations entities. 11 Who is subject to Security Council sanctions and describes himself as the “spokesperson” of Viv Ansanm. 12 See Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), “207 people executed by the Wharf Jérémie gang (Port - au - Prince)”, Haiti flash report, 23 December 2024; see also https://acleddata.com/ report/viv - ansanm - living - together - fighting - united - alliance - reshaping - haitis - gangland . For information on the proliferation of gangs and of barriers in Port - au - Prince, see https://ksmfund.org/wp - content/uploads/2024/11/Article - 1 - Port - au - Prince - between - gangs.pdf ; this issue was also discussed during a meeting on the dynamics of criminal groups in Haiti, organized with several United Nations entities. S/2026/32 7 / 20 25 - 21208 corridors that link the capital to inland markets and the border with the Dominican Republic. 13 Map 2 Gang territorial control in Port - au - Prince and surrounding cities 12. Some criminal actors have attempted to frame their activities in political terms through public statements and correspondence. On 1 January 2025, Jimmy Cherizier stated publicly that the Viv Ansanm coalition intended to “become a political force” and to “p articipate in the political future of the country.” 14 Irrespective of the fact that he is subject to United Nations and bilateral United States sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, which render sanctioned individuals ineligible to participate in electoral or transitional political processes und er existing frameworks, Jimmy Cherizier continues to promote the coalition ’ s political aspirations on social media, seeking visibility and normalization in the national discourse. While these efforts have not attracted broad popular or institutional backing, they illustrate a deliberate strategy to leverage political debate and t ransitional uncertainty with a view to strengthening the influence of armed gangs even as coalition members continue to engage in armed attacks, intimidation and other abuses. __________________ 13 See www.halofirm.com/news - 1/haiti - gang - coalition - dynamics%2C - sanctions - exposure%2C - and - private - sector - risk - (2020%E2%80%932025) and UNODC reports submitted pursuant to paragraph 9 of Security Council resolution 2692 (2023) . 14 See www.crisisgroup.org/latin - america - caribbean/haiti/110 - undoing - haitis - deadly - gang - alliance . S/2026/32 25 - 21208 8 / 20 Deepening violence associated with gang activities 13. Haiti has experienced a sharp escalation in violence since 2022. BINUH reported at least 5,601 killings in 2024 – over 1,000 more than in 2023 – while an estimated 4,384 people were killed between January and September 2025 . 15 Armed gangs are using violence with increasing frequency in order to restrict mobility, engage in extortion in relation to economic activity and challenge State authority, including through attacks on public institutions. As violence spread beyond Port - au - Prince into secondary cities and rural corridors, insecurity deepened nationwide, accelerating displacement, undermining livelihoods and contributing to economic collapse (see S/2024/79 and S/2025/303 ). 14. In parallel, gangs have diversified their illicit revenue streams, including kidnapping for ransom, extortion, arms and drug trafficking, fuel smuggling and migrant exploitation, reinforcing their financial resilience. Violence has acquired political and gender - targeted dimensions, including the use of sexual violence as a tool of terror and control, while vulnerable groups are being exploited for labour, recruitment and income ext raction. According to the United Nations Children ’ s Fund, approximately 6 80,000 children had been displaced and 3.3 million people required humanitarian assistance by October 2025. 16 15. Since 2022, violence has intensified as gangs ’ firepower has increased. Gangs ’ arsenals include assault rifles, such as .50 BMG rifles, enabling them to seize and hold strategic roads, ports and border crossings and further weakening State control. 17 This firepower reinforces the convergence of coercion, profit and territorial control in gang governance structures (see S/2025/642 ). 16. In parallel, some actors traditionally described as gangs have evolved into organized criminal groups, shifting from territorially bounded, predatory violence towards profit - driven criminal activities. While local gangs remain rooted primarily in specific neighbourhoods and rely on extortion and coercion to exert control, trafficking - related groups operate through broader, network - based structures with transnational connections, specialized roles and diversified streams of criminal proceeds . This evolution has further blurred the boundary between local violence and transnational organized crime. III. Shifting patterns of arms and drug trafficking and illicit financing 17. Since 2022, trafficking to and through Haiti has become increasingly sophisticated and integrated into transnational supply chains linking the Caribbean and international markets (see S/2025/420 ). In its assessments, the United Nations has documented a surge in trafficking in increasingly high - calibre and military - style weapons into Haiti since 2022, sourced mainly from the United States and, to a lesser extent, other States (see S/2024/79 ). 18 Traffickers rely on flexible, network - based diaspora intermediaries, complicating attribution and sustained dismantling efforts (see S/2024/554 ). 18. Most armed gangs and criminal groups rely on an irregular “one - shot” arms trafficking model, in which discrete consignments are distributed rapidly, after which __________________ 15 See https://www.unocha.org/attachments/9fa04d0c - 17c9 - 4fea - b6fd - 5f0719234ab4/HTI_ HNRP2026_ExecutiveSummary_EN_20251218.pdf . 16 See https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/10/1166059 . 17 See https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news - media/news/2024/04/92211/haiti - gangs - have - more - firepower - police . See also S/2025/303 , p. 3. 18 See www.unodc.org/documents/data - and - analysis/toc/Haiti_assessment_UNODC.pdf . S/2026/32 9 / 20 25 - 21208 routes and intermediaries are changed to reduce detection (see S/2024/320 ). The interception, in Cap - Haïtien in April 2024, of a 45 - foot container from Port Everglades, United States, which concealed at least 26 illegal firearms and hundreds of cartridges destined for gangs in the Artibonite valley, is emblematic of this patter n (see S/2024/554 ). By contrast, narcotics and other contraband appear to move through more continuous, regular supply flows, reflecting stable consumer demand and entrenched transnational logistics. 19 19. The evolution of trafficking routes since 2022 demonstrates a clear pattern: once a specific corridor is exposed, whether through major seizures, increased inspection or inter - agency pressure, traffickers rapidly shift to alternative maritime, air or land pathways in order to avoid detection. This was demonstrated by the seizure, in July 2022 by the Port - au - Prince customs authorities, of weapons and ammunition allegedly imported under the cover of Episcopal Church exemptions, and subsequent interdiction s in Port - de - Paix, including that of a consignment of approximately 120,000 rounds of ammunition, which prompted a shift towards smaller ports and indirect routes (see S/2023/674 ). 20 __________________ 19 See https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/11/1166460 . 20 The following ammunition was seized in Port - de - Paix: 114,000 rounds of 5.56 x 45 mm; 4,000 rounds of 7.62 x 39 mm; 35 rounds of.38 special ammunition; and 2,000 rounds of 9 x 19 mm. S/2026/32 25 - 21208 10 / 20 Map 3 Tracking selected weapons seizures, 2022 – 2025 20. This reactive adaptation is visible in a sequence of interdictions observed across Port - au - Prince, Port - de - Paix and Cap - Haïtien, as well as at the land border and in the Dominican Republic (see map 3). 21 As enforcement intensified along direct maritime routes to Haiti, flows increasingly transited through the Dominican Republic. Dominican authorities, in turn, significantly reinforced their counter - trafficking efforts through the deployment of non - intrusi ve inspection technologies and an expanded customs and border presence. These measures have contributed to a series of high - impact seizures, such as the seizure conducted at Haina Port in January 2025, in which 30 rifles and multiple pistols were concealed inside compressor tanks; the interdiction in February 2025 of a Miami - Haiti transit consignment containing .50 - calibre Barrett rifle, dozens of assault rifles, magazines and more than 36,000 __________________ 21 See also www.justice.gov/usao - mdfl/pr/international - gun - trafficking - conspiracy - dismantled . S/2026/32 11 / 20 25 - 21208 rounds of ammunition; and the seizure, in March 2025, of some 36,000 cartridges and additional weapons in a container destinated for Haiti at Haina Port. 22 21. Following these seizures early in 2025 and the disruption of supply chains linked to the Dominican Republic, trafficking patterns for firearms and ammunition became more opaque. Consignments are increasingly being routed through secondary Haitian ports wit h a limited or intermittent State presence, including Miragoâne, Saint - Marc and other facilities that already handle significant volumes of containerized cargo but have comparatively weak inspection regimes. 23 There are also indications that traffickers are relying on vessels whose declared destination is not Haiti, allowing consignments to circumvent export controls associated with the arms embargo and to be rerouted through other Caribbean hubs. 24 Moreover, there is evidence of offshore transfers from larger vessels anchored outside Haitian territorial waters to small boats that complete the final leg to isolated coastal sites, bypassing port - based screening. 25 These adaptations mirror practices observed in other Caribbean trafficking circuits and underscore the capacity of criminal networks to exploit maritime enforcement vulnerabilities. 26 22. While private security companies control a significant share of the country ’ s legally registered firearms, the systems governing acquisition, storage and oversight remain inadequate with respect to the number and sophistication of the weapons involved. 27 Current licensing procedures lack uniform verification requirements, armoury management rules are inconsistently applied and record - keeping remains largely paper - based, limiting the traceability of weapons when they are lost or diverted. Evidence document ed by United Nations entities indicates that firearms legally imported for private use have, on several occasions, resurfaced in the hands of gangs, suggesting diversion through theft, resale or informal lending mechanisms. 28 23. Microtrafficking across the border is a persistent challenge. Small consignments of firearms and ammunition are routinely concealed within basic commodities and moved through such border posts as Belladère or Malpasse, or diverted through alternative cross ing points when official posts are closed or rendered inoperative by __________________ 22 See https://aduananews.com/en/aduanas - de - republica - dominicana - resalta - logros - en - dos - anos - de - gestion/ , https://apnews.com/article/dominican - republic - ammunition - guns - seized - haiti - de5d70f178009d26c08e8c81b03f2ae4 , www.ungeneva.org/en/news - media/news/2025/10/111891/haiti - under - un - arms - embargo - so - why - are - 500000 - illegal - weapons , www.elcaribe.com.do/panorama/pais/dga - decomisa - 37 - armas - de - fuego - en - puerto - haina and https://diariodigita lrd.com/2025/03/04/aduanas - incauta - 36000 - municiones - y - armas - en - puerto - de - haina.html . 23 UNODC has documented that such ports, together with numerous informal landing sites, constitute critical nodes for the entry of arms, ammunition and narcotics into Haiti. See S/2024/79 and S/2024/320 . See also https://lenouvelliste.com/article/255882/miragoane - les - douaniers - interceptent - des - equipements - tactiques - et - un - drone and https://vantbefinfo.com/haiti - securite - portuaire - un - drone - sous - marin - saisi - au - port - de - miragoane . 24 For example, UNODC and media outlets report that arms and ammunition may first transit through major Dominican ports, such as Haina Port, where more than 112,000 units of firearms and ammunition were seized in the first half of 2022, before being moved acr oss land border crossings into Haiti. See https://ground.news/article/dominican - republic - seizes - weapons - and - thousands - of - cartridges - destined - for - haiti - via - miami . 25 See S/2024/320 and www.unodc.org/unodc/en/press/releases/2023/March/firearms -- drug - trafficking - feeding - haitis - cascading - security - crises_ - new - unodc - assessment.html . 26 See www.caricomimpacs.org/articles/new - report - calls - for - coordinated - multi - sectoral - action - to - tackle - firearm - related - violence - and - trafficking - in - the - caribbean . 27 See www.unodc.org/documents/data - and - analysis/toc/Haiti_assessment_UNODC.pdf . See also OHCHR reports on the human rights situation in Haiti, country reports and thematic updates addressing arms proliferation, private security companies and regulatory gaps (2023 – 2025). 28 See www.unodc.org/documents/data - and - analysis/toc/Haiti_assessment_UNODC.pdf , S/2025/642 , A/HRC/58/76 section VI and www.alterpresse.org/spip.php?article31881 . S/2026/32 25 - 21208 12 / 20 insecurity. 29 Although individual shipments are limited in size, their cumulative effect is to provide armed gangs with a steady supply of ammunition and replacement weapons (see S/2024/554 ). These flows are particularly significant for 400 Mawozo and other gangs that are rooted in inland corridors and peri - urban areas without direct maritime access, including coalitions operating along the Croix - des - Bouquets corridor and national highway 3, as well as rival gangs and self - defence brigades that may control access to coastal zones. 24. Haiti has become simultaneously more deeply embedded in regional flows of irregular migration and associated with illicit financial movements. 30 These movements are frequently organized by criminal networks operating in coastal areas and at key border crossings that rely on unregistered vessels and clandestine departure points to move migrants (see S/2025/642 ). A weak State presence at land and maritime borders, limited patrol and inspection capacity and pervasive corruption have created a permissive environment in which smugglers extract rents through extortion, coercion and unsafe transportation (see S/2025/85 ). 25. The financial architecture underpinning these criminal markets extends well beyond the movement of physical commodities. A combination of entrenched corruption, limited financial oversight and the predominance of informal economic activity provides fertile ground for money - laundering and illicit value transfer in Haiti. 31 Proceeds from extortion, kidnapping, drug trafficking and arms sales are reportedly channelled through bulk - cash smuggling, unregulated remittance operators, trade - based schemes and front companies in such sectors as import - export, logistics and construct ion, often linked to economic elites with political connections. 32 These parallel financial circuits sustain the operational autonomy of criminal networks, enabling the continued procurement of firearms and ammunition, the payment of personnel, territorial expansion and the consolidation of coercive forms of control in gang - controlled areas, while distorting local markets and undermining fiscal and institutional governance (see S/2025/303 ). 26. Evolving trafficking patterns underscore the necessity of addressing arms trafficking to and through Haiti as a regional supply chain challenge rather than a narrow Haitian phenomenon. Firearms and ammunition sourced predominantly in the United States and trafficked through Florida, as well as through the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and other hubs in Caribbean countries, are embedded within diversified illicit routes that also facilitate drug trafficking, migrant smuggling and the laundering of illicit proceeds. IV. Digital technologies, from social media to drones 27. Haitian criminal networks have integrated modern technologies into their operations, including commercial drones, encrypted messaging apps and social media platforms. These tools have expanded gangs ’ surveillance, coordination and territorial __________________ 29 See S/2024/554 . Interview with law enforcement officers working at the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. 30 See https://haiti.iom.int/news/new - iom - study - highlights - reintegration - challenges - faced - deportees - returning - haiti . 31 See S/2024/79 and www.imf.org/en/publications/high - level - summary - technical - assistance - reports/issues/2025/07/01/haiti - governance - diagnostic - report - high - level - summary - technical - assistant - report - 568162 . 32 See www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2088238/Haiti_assessment_UNODC.pdf , www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R47394/R47394.2.pdf , www.elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/019/2025/039/article - A001 - en.xml and www.international.gc.ca/world - monde/international_relations - relations_internationales/sanctions/haiti.aspx?lang=eng . S/2026/32 13 / 20 25 - 21208 control capacities. 33 The 5 Segond gang was documented using drones for reconnaissance, attack coordination and prison - break support, with aerial feeds informing real - time decisions. 34 Security and aviation authorities, including the United States Federal Aviation Administration, have warned that the presence of unmanned aircraft systems contributed to extended commercial flight restrictions over Port - au - Prince. 35 Since 2022, digital spaces have become hubs for recruitment, propaganda and intimidation, with gang leaders livestreaming their efforts to establish and publicize territorial control, issuing threats and using music video performances to promote affiliati on. 36 28. In addition to propaganda, digital tools are used in connection with extortion and intelligence - gathering. For example, electronic devices belonging to kidnapping victims are mined for contacts and financial information, enabling serial targeting and calib rated ransom demands. 37 The normalization of violent imagery online has further weakened the influence of local social and moral leadership, such as community leaders, religious figures and civic associations, contributing to the expansion of gang influence into areas beyond the ir physical control. 38 While these developments represent opportunistic adaptation rather than structured, military - style innovation, they significantly heighten the complexity of the Haitian security environment. They underline the need for modernized monitoring frameworks tha t combine cyberanalysis, open - source social media intelligence and regional cooperation to address emerging, technology - enabled criminal control . V. Engagement of private security companies and vigilante or so - called self - defence groups 29. Haiti has witnessed a proliferation of private security companies, alongside the emergence of vigilante or so - called self - defence groups, further reshaping the security landscape. While private security companies operate within a legal framework and are su bject, in principle, to State regulation, vigilante and self - defence groups function outside formal structures. In both cases, the scale and fragmentation of these actors exceed the State ’ s capacity to effectively regulate, monitor or respond to their activities. 39 The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates that there are approximately 100 private security companies collectively __________________ 33 See www.haitipolicyhouse.org/publications/analyzing - izos - gang - using - satellite - imagery , www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/06/11/haiti - gangs - social - media - cherizier - izo/ , https://edition.cnn.com/2025/12/01/americas/gangs - launch - large - scale - attack - in - haitis - central - region - as - hundreds - flee - gunfire - and - burning - homes - intl - latam and https://news.un.org/en/interview/2025/08/1165662 . 34 See S/2025/303 and https://forbiddenstories.org/hospital - gangs - haiti . 35 See www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/us_restrictions/Haiti - Background - Note - Unclassified - For - Public - Release.pdf . 36 United Nations reporting and expert analysis indicate that, since 2022, gang leaders in Haiti have increasingly leveraged digital and social media to broadcast evidence of territorial control, issue threats and disseminate videos that bolster their influen ce and recruitment efforts. This includes the documented presence of gang leaders on social media and the reported use of video - based intimidation tactics aimed at media outlets and civilians. See S/2025/642 and www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/10/9/haitis - gangs - are - recruiting - child - soldiers - rights - group - says . 37 Information provided by other United Nations entities during weekly meetings on the dynamics of criminal groups in Haiti. 38 See https://koff.swisspeace.ch/apropos/3763/haiti - using - social - media - for - peace/ and www.unicef.org/haiti/en/press - releases/haitis - children - under - siege - staggering - rise - child - abuse - and - recruitment - armed - groups . 39 See S/2025/420 , www.unodc.org/unodc/en/speeches/2025/020725 - unsc - briefing - haiti.html and https://apnews.com/article/un - haiti - gangs - capital - violence - government - kenya - c14dd55725e2e415b794ab88b4184e65 . S/2026/32 25 - 21208 14 / 20 employing between 75,000 and 90,000 personnel in Haiti. The expansion of such companies has created parallel armed structures operating with uneven accountability, notwithstanding their role in protecting key infrastructure (see A/HRC/58/76 ). 30. Vigilante or so - called self - defence groups initially emerging as community defence initiatives have, in several areas, adopted the tactics and income models of criminal groups, including the imposition of local extortion and the use of coercion to control movement and territory (see A/HRC/58/76 ). Field reporting from Artibonite and Malpasse indicates instances in which the leaders of vigilante or so - called self - defence groups have aligned themselves with established gangs or financed themselves through extortion , illustrating how community - led resistance groups can evolve into armed actors combining elements of local protection, criminal activity and the opportunistic building of alliances. If left unchecked by effective regulation, oversight and security sector governance, an increasing number of these self - defence groups risk evolving into armed gangs driven primarily by economic interests. Together , the expansion of private security companies and the mutation of vigilante groups risk deepening fragmentation within the Haitian security environment, multiplying the number of actors with coercive power and eroding the State ’ s monopoly on the use of force. 40 VI. National and regional responses 31. The capacity of the Haitian State to respond effectively to the expansion of criminal networks is constrained by structural fragilities, chronic resource gaps, governance deficits and persistent insecurity (see S/2025/420 ). Armed gangs control or contest most of the metropolitan area of Port - au - Prince and significant portions of Artibonite and other Departments, leaving State institutions with only a limited, discontinuous presence in most of the territory. 41 The Haitian National Police, with an effective active duty workforce estimated at between 9,000 and 10,000 officers for a population of more than 11 million, continues to operate under conditions of chronic overstretch, facing adversaries that are better armed, territorially entrenched and operationally coordinated. 42 These deficiencies have significantly limited the ability of the Haitian National Police not only to retake, but also to hold and stabilize gang - controlled areas (see S/2024/79 ). Large - scale attacks against police stations, courts, prisons and administrative buildings, including the coordinated assaults early in 2024, during which more than 4,600 inmates escaped and at least 22 police facilities were looted or set on fire, have further eroded institutional resilience. 43 32. Corruption and collusion compound these challenges, facilitating the movement of firearms, narcotics and other illicit goods through entry points and transit hubs. Illicit arms and drug markets in Haiti are underpinned by corruption and money - laundering, w hich weaken already fragile oversight systems and enable traffickers to circumvent embargo measures and controls. 44 Investigations have exposed officials implicated in facilitating arms smuggling between the United States, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, highlighting institutional vulnerabilities on both sides of the __________________ 40 See A/HRC/58/76 and www.unodc.org/unodc/en/speeches/2025/020725 - unsc - briefing - haiti.html . 41 See www.unodc.org/unodc/frontpage/2025/July/haitian - capital - paralysed - and - isolated - by - gang - violence -- security - council - hears.html . 42 See www.ungeneva.org/en/news - media/news/2024/04/92211/haiti - gangs - have - more - firepower - police . 43 See https://binuh.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/2024_q1_human_rights_quarterly_report_ en_19.04.2024.pdf and S/2024/554 . 44 See www.unodc.org/unodc/frontpage/2025/January/weapons - influx - and - drug - trafficking - compounding - security - situation - in - haiti -- unodc - executive - director - tells - security - council.html . S/2026/32 15 / 20 25 - 21208 Haiti - Dominican Republic land border. 45 Efforts to strengthen internal oversight, disciplinary mechanisms and integrity frameworks in key institutions have resulted in incremental progress but remain insufficiently implemented to mitigate systemic risks (see S/2025/303 ). 33. Regional cooperation to counter arms trafficking, migrant smuggling and cross - border criminal flows have intensified across the northern Caribbean, driven by increased surveillance, joint operations and information - sharing between neighbouring States. Whil e efforts remain uneven, recent advances in The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos Islands reflect a growing recognition that the security of Haiti and of the surrounding maritime corridors requires shared responsibility and coord inated enforcement. 34. The Dominican Republic has taken a proactive approach to border and firearms control through a combination of physical infrastructure, enhanced screening and institutional reform. Security measures taken since 2022 have included the construction of a 240 - m ile border wall with integrated sensors and drone surveillance, strengthened customs and immigration controls and expanded maritime and aerial interdiction in coordination with the United States. 46 These measures have contributed to increased interdictions of illicit arms and contraband, improved detection along border and maritime routes and a reduction in irregular cross - border movements and are reinforced by steps designed to strengthen long - term firearms governance. 47 Progress includes the drafting of a national firearms road map aligned with Caribbean and Central American frameworks under the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean; the destruction of 3, 945 seized weapons; comprehensive armoury inspections to improve stockpile security; and the clearing of a two - year backlog of traced weapons through more than 3,800 new entries into the eTrace system. 48 The Dominican Republic has also committed itself to acquiring scanners for all four official border crossings with Haiti and maintains operational collaboration with United States agencies and, on a limited basis, Haitian law enforcement. 49 35. The Turks and Caicos Islands have simultaneously strengthened national security governance and operational capacity, achieving measurable reductions in crime through multi - agency coordination and closer regional cooperation. 50 National reforms are __________________ 45 See https://dominicantoday.com/dr/world/2025/03/07/arms - trafficking - fuels - haitis - security - crisis - reports - le - nouvelliste , www.justsecurity.org/109308/police - network - arms - trafficking - latin - america/ and www.justice.gov/usao - dc/pr/king - violent - haitian - gang - sentenced - life - prison - hostage - taking - 16 - american - christian . 46 See www.reuters.com/world/americas/dominican - republic - begins - building - border - wall - with - haiti - 2022 - 02 - 20 , https://dominicantoday.com/dr/local/2024/06/20/dominican - air - force - enhances - border - surveillance - with - aircraft , www.reuters.com/world/americas/dominican - republic - reinforces - border - security - migration - controls - towards - haiti - 2025 - 04 - 06 and www.caribbeantoday.com/sections/regional/us - military - aircraft - to - arrive - in - dominican - republic - for - deployment - in - the - caribbean . 47 See www.unlirec.org/en/dominican - republic - enhances - capacity - to - combat - illicit - trafficking - in - arms - and - ammunition/ and www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_release.asp?sCodigo=AVI - 024/25 . 48 See https://deultimominuto.net/en/uncategorized/interior - and - police - and - metaldom - destroy - 3945 - weapons - to - prevent - them - from - returning - to - the - streets - 2 , www.unodc.org/unodc/firearms - protocol/news/2025/strengthening - firearms - control - in - the - dominican - republic.html and www.unlirec.org/en/publicacion/central - america - and - dominican - republic - firearms - roadmap . 49 Information provided by Dominican law enforcement and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs in the Dominican Republic. 50 See https://borderforce.gov.tc/files/0TS46FkLzq2ofrwnvjUyZIAsf1OlIoAwc5osvc3m.pdf , https://magneticmediatv.com/2025/08/turks - and - caicos - islands - national - security - council - post - meeting - statement - 6 and https://thewatch - journal.com/2024/04/05/turks - and - caicos - islands - takes - another - step - toward - more - secure - borders . S/2026/32 25 - 21208 16 / 20 focused on developing intelligence - led security structures that are expected to evolve into a joint operations and information - fusion mechanism, supported by expanded training, recruitment and specialist deployments from Barbados and Jamaica. Maritime inte rdiction has been upgraded with new fast patrol craft, jet - drive vessels and expanded coastal radar surveillance. 51 Targeted operations against organized crime have increased, underpinned by improvements in case management systems, sentencing frameworks and judicial coordination. Through Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos, the Turks and Caicos Islands are working with The Bahamas and the United States on maritime monitoring, vessel interdiction and intelligence - sharing in connection with arms, drug and migrant smuggling routes linked to Ha iti. 52 Sustained impact depends on parallel progress in harmonizing legislation, data - exchange rules and financial investigations across the wider subregion. 53 36. The United Nations system is supporting an integrated, supply - chain - focused approach with some States in the region, including The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, the United States and the Turks and Caicos Islands, to reinforce export cont rols, pre - shipment checks, end - user verification and port - loading inspections. It is also establishing collective customs - police - coastguard mechanisms at strategic borders and upgrading scanning, risk analysis and maritime domain awareness capacities throu gh container and passenger - control programmes. 54 In parallel, United Nations entities provided training in Haiti and the aforementioned States and territories on interdiction, container profiling, coordinated patrols, complex investigations and financial disruption tools, as well as on anti - corruption a nd oversight measures to be implemented by customs, law enforcement and port authorities. At the same time, the United Nations has prioritized protection and community - level resilience in order to reduce recruitment, in particular of children, by armed gan gs. It does so through prevention, release and reintegration programmes, strengthened handover protocols and area - based stabilization efforts led by BINUH and implemented by the United Nations Children ’ s Fund, the International Organization for Migration and partners, while also advancing multinational investigative cooperation and regional legal harmonization through the Security Council sanctions regime and UNODC engagement. 55 VII. Countering illicit financial flows and enforcing sanctions 37. Between October 2024 and September 2025, the Central Financial Intelligence Unit (Unité centrale de renseignements financiers) of Haiti significantly scaled up its financial - intelligence activities under the new framework to combat money - laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation. It processed close to 1.5 million __________________ 51 See https://suntci.com/tci - regiment - commissions - new - fast - patrol - boats - boosting - maritime - security - p12983 - 129.htm . 52 See https://bs.usembassy.gov/u - s - coast - guard - trains - bahamian - partners - in - water - survival - skills - 2 . 53 Information provided to UNODC by the National Security Secretariat of the territorial Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands on 4 December 2025. 54 See www.unodc.org/unodc/en/speeches/2025/020725 - unsc - briefing - haiti.html . 55 In July 2025, for example, the Government of Haiti and the United Nations Children ’ s Fund, with support from the European Union, launched the three - year Prevention and Rehabilitation Programme against Children and Youth Recruitment (PREJEUNES) to prevent recruitment and support the rehabilitation and reintegration of children and adolesc ents associated with armed gangs, building on a national handover protocol that ensures that such children are treated first and foremost as victims and provided with comprehensive social support. See www.unicef.org/haiti/en/press - releases/haitian - government - and - unicef - launch - prejeunes - programme - address - recruitment and www.unognewsroom.org/story/en/2537/haiti - children - in - armed - groups - unicef - 28 - february - 2025 . S/2026/32 17 / 20 25 - 21208 transaction reports with a processing rate of almost 100 per cent. 56 The 10 largest reporting institutions were responsible for more than 93 per cent of all declarations, underscoring the fact that any failure by even a single major reporter could generate a systemic blind spot. Over the same period, the Unit registered so me 1,281,000 systematic declarations, dominated by cross - border flows, and 252 suspicious transaction reports, representing an increase of roughly 30 per cent compared with the previous year. 57 38. On the basis of suspicious activity reports, the Central Financial Intelligence Unit has determined that corruption and diversion of public funds, drug trafficking, extortion and kidnapping for ransom remain the principal suspected predicate offences, with a growing share of cases linked to ransom and extortion payments. The dominant laundering techniques continue to be structured cash deposits (“smurfing”), often organized by “laundering cells” of 5 to