Haiti gang leader Mathias Saintil killed after drone strike
Why it matters: His death marks one of the biggest blows to Haiti's gang hierarchy since 2024 as security operations intensify.
Gang leader Mathias Saintil died after suffering severe abdominal wounds in a drone strike in Boston, a gang-held neighborhood on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haitian authorities confirmed Friday. Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime wrote on X that there was "one less gang leader" as the government pressed a broader campaign against armed groups. A human rights report reviewed by Reuters said Saintil was struck Thursday night and died the next day while being treated. The killing comes as Haiti steps up security operations with about 2,000 Salvadoran troops deployed since last month after four Salvadoran members of a U.N.-backed force went missing in an ambush.