U.S. Southern Command has announced the deployment of Marine Corps FAST (Fleet Anti-Terrorism Security Team) to the U.S. Embassy in Haiti.
Their statement on Wednesday reads:
“At the request of the Department of State, the U.S. Southern Command deployed a U.S. Marine Fleet-Anti-terrorism Security Team (FAST) to maintain strong security capabilities at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and conduct relief in place for our current Marines, a common and routine practice worldwide — and allow additional non-emergency personnel to depart. Our Marines in Haiti completed their assignment and were relieved by a secondary team of Marines. The U.S. Embassy remains open, and limited operations continue, focused on assistance to US citizens and supporting Haitian led efforts to secure a peaceful transition of power. This week, the Department of Defense doubled our funding for the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, and we are working with Haitian, Kenyan, and other partners to expedite its deployment to support the Haitian National Police and to restore security in Haiti. The Department of Defense is postured to provide enabling support for the MSS, including planning assistance, information sharing, airlift, and medical support.”
This follows the evacuation and airlift of most non-essential staff from the U.S. Embassy over the weekend as gang warfare and insurrection continue to rise in the country. Several other nations, as well as staff for the European Union and World Bank, have also begun leaving Haiti.
