U.S. Marines protecting the U.S. embassy in Haiti exchanged gunfire with suspected gang members last week, a Marine spokesman announced Sunday.Captain Steven J. Keenan told Fox News that Marines supporting embassy operations came under fire from several suspected gang members outside the U.S. embassy complex in the Haitian capital of Port Au Prince on the evening of November 13. “U.S. Marines are committed to the safety and security of U.S. embassies worldwide and respond to all threats with professionalism and swift, disciplined action,” Keenan said.
No U.S. service members were injured as a result of the incident, according to a report from The Washington Post.
The long unstable Caribbean nation has largely suffered a government collapse in recent years, which began in earnest following the assassination
As of this report, gangs control about 90 percent of Port-au-Prince despite the deployment of Kenyan military personnel under a United Nations mandate to bolster Haiti’s security forces.
The ongoing issue with gangs in Haiti stems from a surge in organized criminal groups exploiting political instability since 2021, fueled by arms trafficking, corruption links to political elites, and economic collapse, leading to widespread violence including massacres, kidnappings, sexual assaults, child recruitment, and forced displacement
Over 200 gangs operate nationwide, with coalitions like Viv Ansanm (Living Together) coordinating attacks to expand influence, control illicit markets, and challenge state authority by establishing parallel governance in seized areas. Gangs have intensified operations in 2025, spreading from Port-au-Prince into rural departments like Artibonite and Centre, paralyzing commerce through roadblocks, exacerbating famine-like conditions for 5.7 million people.
Haiti has received substantial security assistance from outside nations to combat gangs, beginning with the UN-authorized Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in 2024. Primarily lead by Kenyan forces, the UN mandate has received support from Jamaica, Bahamas, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador, while the U.S. has provided $25 million in aid for the MSS.
The November 13 incident is not the first time foreign diplomats and embassies have come under attack in Haiti. Earlier incidents include gangs targeting U.S. embassy vehicles in March and October 2024, leading to partial staff evacuations of non-essential personnel. A UN helicopter was also struck by gunfire in October 2024 as it was attempting to deliver food aid.
As a result of the violence, the European Union has evacuated all diplomatic staff, while the nation’s lone international airport has been closed due to numerous instances of gunfire targeting aircraft.
Senator John Kennedy is once again cutting through Washington’s theatrics with brutal honesty.
The Louisiana Republican accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of staging political drama instead of doing his job to reopen the government.
In an interview with Fox Business host Larry Kudlow, Kennedy described the shutdown as a “political performance,” not a genuine policy disagreement.
He said Schumer is more concerned with keeping up appearances for his party’s radical wing than with serving the American people.
“It will end eventually,” Kennedy said, “when Senator Schumer goes to six or eight of his members and Democrats and says, ‘Do me a favor. Vote to open it back up. I may have to criticize you. I’m not going to vote with you, but I need a way out of this.’”
Kennedy made clear that Schumer’s priority isn’t compromise — it’s saving face.
“He’s gonna tell ‘em, ‘Now, look, I gotta vote no. And I gotta dogcuss you a little bit. We gotta have some play acting and make this look good. And then we come out of the shutdown,’” Kennedy said, describing how Schumer will secretly orchestrate the outcome he publicly opposes.
According to Kennedy, the government shutdown is less about real disagreements and more about political optics. Schumer, he said, is acting out a script to appease the far-left members of his caucus — what Kennedy calls the “moon wing” of the Democratic Party.
“I know him. Well, this shutdown is not about policy. It’s about politics,” Kennedy said.
“And Senator Schumer, this is what’s going on. He is trying to get the moon wing, the socialist wing of the Democratic Party, which is in control, to love him. And they will never love him.”
That blunt assessment paints a damning picture of the Democratic leadership. Schumer, Kennedy argues, is beholden to extremists who refuse to compromise, even at the expense of the country.
The Louisiana senator said Schumer’s strategy is simple: keep the government closed until Republicans and President Trump agree to hand over billions in new spending — spending that Democrats will control. “What he’s saying,” Kennedy explained, “is we’re going to keep government shut down until you Republicans and President Trump give the Democrats $1.5 trillion, and they’re going to tell us how to spend it.”
Kennedy ridiculed the idea that Schumer is fighting for “the people.” In his view, Schumer is fighting for power, money, and media attention — and the shutdown is just another stage for him to perform on.
“He’s boning if it looks contrived,” Kennedy warned. “He can’t look like he’s having a mutiny.” That’s why, Kennedy says, Schumer must choreograph his next steps carefully, pretending to fight while quietly coordinating votes behind the scenes.
Kennedy’s description of this “play acting” matches what many Americans have long suspected: that the partisan battles on the Senate floor are largely theater designed to manipulate the public.
Schumer, Kennedy said, is obsessed with being seen as strong by the socialist faction of his party — even though that same faction will never accept him. “He’d be better off doing what he did back in March and just calling it like he saw it and keeping government open,” Kennedy added.
The senator’s comments came after Schumer led most Democrats in voting down the Republicans’ spending bill earlier in the week, prolonging the shutdown. Kennedy said that move was pure political posturing.
“Schumer knows exactly what he’s doing,” Kennedy said. “He’s trying to look tough for his base while still leaving himself a backdoor exit.”
Kennedy argued that Schumer is being held hostage by his own party’s extremists — the same people who demand funding for what Kennedy called “wasteful foreign projects” and ideological programs.
The Louisiana senator said Democrats are fighting to reinstate spending for overseas LGBTQ initiatives, electric buses in Rwanda, Palestinian media operations, and sterilization programs abroad — all things Republicans already removed from the budget.
“He’s not fighting for the American taxpayer,” Kennedy said. “He’s fighting for his image and for foreign projects nobody asked for.”