The Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to Haiti has issued a report on operations conducted in Kenscoff during the nights of August 24 and 25, 2025, aimed at neutralizing the bandits occupying the Téléco site, even as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration plans to make changes in the mission and appoint another country to lead it.
The Haitian National Police (HNP), in collaboration with local and national authorities and supported by the MSS, successfully conducted a major operation with the objectives of neutralising the bandits, regaining control of the TELECO zone, and securing it, thereby enabling the population to resume their daily activities.
MSS said the recapture of the TELECO site in Kenscoff sends a strong message from the Acting Director General of the HNP, André Jonas Vladimir Paraison, and the MSS Force Commander Godfrey Otunge.
Jonas and Otunge said the reign of gangs in Haiti is almost coming to an end as the PNH and MSS plan to extend operations and recover the whole country.
The era of impunity for armed gangs is nearing its end. This example in Kenscoff, which, according to the determination of PNH and MSS leadership will be sustained, will gradually extend throughout the national territory. It will also restore free circulation of people and goods across the ten (10) departments of the country, as before.
Kenscoff Location & Importance
The area commonly known as TELECO is located in the heights of Kenscoff, accessible via Tête Bois-Pin and Morne Tranchant.
MSS said Kenscoff is of strategic significance due to its location, function, and importance in terms of economic development and infrastructure for multiple sectors.
This site is of particular importance both for the commune and for the country, as it hosts telecommunications antennas.
It is even more crucial because the National Civil Aviation Office (OFNAC) has equipment there that allows control of Haitian airspace.
Also Read: Trump to Replace Kenya’s Police in Haiti After Failing to Contain Gangs
This highly strategic space, ladies and gentlemen, has long been the target of bandits who, for undisclosed reasons, have attempted to seize and control it. Despite the efforts already made by law enforcement, local authorities, and national leadership, these gangs had still managed to infiltrate and occupy the area temporarily.
Weapons Recovered
At the conclusion of the operation, security forces recovered weapons, ammunition, and equipment from the gang-held Téléco site in Kenscoff.
This included six assault rifles of various calibers, among them a Romanian-made Kalashnikov AK-47, Israeli and American-made rifles, as well as several M-16s with altered serial numbers.
Additionally, officers seized 17 magazines of different calibers, three unidentified tear gas grenades, and 1,524 rounds of ammunition—comprising 727 rounds of 5.56mm and 796 rounds of 7.62mm, along with a .50 caliber round.
The operation also led to the recovery of two communication radios, a Motorola DEP-450 and a Dewalt IP-67, further weakening the gang’s operational capacity.
Also Read: Two Elite Police Officers Killed in Haiti
Trump’s New Plans for Haiti
The operation comes after U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Kimberly J. Penland revealed that the U.S is planning to double the size of the foreign forces deployed in Haiti, with possibly another country, rather than Kenya, leading the new team.
Speaking on August 20, Penland said the U.S. is drafting a resolution to present to the United Nations Security Council to “properly resource” Haiti’s fight against the gangs and regain control of its territories.
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