In a severe blow to security operations in Haiti, three officers from the Temporary Anti-Gang Unit (UTAG) and a civilian scout working with the Haitian National Police (PNH) were killed on Friday, May 29, 2026, during an ambush by the Gran grif de Savien gang. The targeted attack took place in the fourth communal section of Saint-Marc, within the lower Artibonite region. Shortly after the killings, the criminals released several highly graphic, viral videos on social media, showcasing the bodies of the uniformed officers and subjecting them to severe public degradation. Relatives, local leaders, and fellow officers have since confirmed the identities of the deceased.
Among the casualties was the regional head of police operations, Pierre Emmanuel Germain—widely known as “Commander Manno”—who led the UTAG division in nearby Verrettes. Local precinct officials confirmed that the armed gang seized the officers’ high-caliber weapons, tactical bulletproof vests, and ammunition, taking both the equipment and the victims’ bodies back to their stronghold in Savien. The Police Communications Directorate (DICOP) released a press release confirming the details, noting that the casualties occurred during heavy combat in the Carrefour Robert area along the Verrettes highway. Condemning the act of barbarism, the PNH High Command extended its condolences to the families and announced the immediate dispatch of strategic reinforcements to track down the gang members.
Local police sources revealed that the tragedy unfolded during a tactical deployment, as a unit from Verrettes moved to rendezvous with a team from Saint-Marc at the Robert intersection. The ongoing clashes have triggered a mass displacement, with a large number of local farmers fleeing the rural districts over the last few days. Following the incident, human rights organizations Dwa Fanm and Flagran Deli questioned the efficacy of the government’s regional strategy, issuing a joint statement alleging that current police operations are only designed to temporarily displace gangs rather than structurally dismantle them. This marks the third time in three years that the Gran Grif gang has massacred police forces in lower Artibonite, following the killing of six UDMO officers on January 25, 2023, and four additional agents on July 22, 2025.
