Haiti has dispatched 150 soldiers to Mexico for military training, as part of a comprehensive strategy to rebuild its armed forces and address the gangs that currently control much of the capital, the Haitian government announced on Friday.
This deployment is part of a bilateral agreement that aims to train 700 Haitian soldiers in Mexico, as the nation seeks to enhance its national security framework.
“This departure signifies a historic milestone in the reconstruction of the Haitian Armed Forces and is integral to a policy aimed at strengthening national security capabilities,” stated Haiti’s government. “It demonstrates the government’s unwavering commitment to restore … state authority throughout the nation.”
From October 2024 to June 2025, over 4,800 individuals across Haiti lost their lives due to gang violence. Additionally, hundreds more have suffered injuries, kidnappings, rapes, and trafficking, as reported by the United Nations.
The Haitian soldiers will undergo three months of training in Mexico. Upon their return, they will collaborate with Haiti’s National Police in combating gangs, supported by Kenyan police officers leading a minimally funded U.N.-backed mission.
Earlier this month, approximately 30 Haitian soldiers were deployed to the French Caribbean island of Martinique for a two-week training program.
Haiti’s armed forces were disbanded in 1995 following a coup that removed former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. The once-feared military had been long accused of egregious human rights violations and had participated in several coups.
In 2017, the army was reinstated by the assassinated President Jovenel Moïse after the U.N. concluded its peacekeeping operations.
In recent years, the army has been actively recruiting young individuals to increase its ranks. As of 2023, there were approximately 2,000 soldiers, in contrast to around 7,000 at the time of the army’s disbandment. Updated figures were not available.
