The U.S. State Department is warning Americans not to travel to Haiti as kidnappings, gang violence, and vigilante killings continue to destabilize the Caribbean nation.
In an updated Level 4 advisory dated April 16, the department said Haiti remains plagued by violent crime, terrorism, unrest, and severely limited medical care. Officials warned that ransom demands in kidnapping cases often reach into the high tens of thousands or even the high hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The advisory said violent crime is rampant, especially in Port-au-Prince, where gang, organized crime, and terrorist activity have fueled widespread violence. Crimes listed by the department include robbery, carjackings, sexual assault, and kidnappings for ransom.
The State Department also warned that armed anti-gang vigilante groups have attacked and, in many cases, killed people — including U.S. citizens — based on rumors or incorrect information about gang ties.
Local law enforcement has an “extremely limited ability” to respond to serious crimes, particularly outside Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien, according to the advisory.
U.S. commercial flights are not currently operating to or from Port-au-Prince. The advisory says the Federal Aviation Administration has barred U.S. air carriers from flying there because of ongoing instability.
The department urged Americans in Haiti to establish a proof-of-life protocol with family members, choose a designated point of contact in case of kidnapping, avoid resisting robbery attempts, and use caution when walking or driving at night.
Haiti has remained under a national state of emergency since March 2024, and the U.S. government continues to face severe limits on its ability to provide emergency services to American citizens there because of security restrictions.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the State Department earlier issued a worldwide security alert urging Americans abroad to exercise increased caution amid heightened geopolitical tensions.