US Warns Americans Not To Travel To This Nearby Caribbean Island
The US State Department is warning Americans not to travel to a neighboring nation.
The State Department emphasizes that its ability to provide assistance to Americans in Haiti is “extremely limited.”
Rampant kidnappings, gang-controlled roadways and gunfire outside the country’s main airport, has just prompted the agency to raises its
“Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti
to Level 4, the same category reserved for active war zones.
In so doing, the agency is bluntly telling Americans to stay away or risk becoming hostages — or worse.
The notice paints a country in free-fall. Armed gangs now dominate or contest large stretches of Port-au-Prince, where sporadic gunfights have erupted just outside Toussaint Louverture International Airport.
The Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) has prohibited US airlines from operating there, leaving would-be visitors to piece together risky charter options or overland routes that Washington bluntly calls “unsafe at any speed.”
Kidnapping remains the signature threat. US citizens have been seized from cars, hotel driveways, and even airport convoys. Ransoms have soared into six-figure territory, and the advisory warns that victims have been injured or killed when negotiations go awry.
Roadblock, often manned by heavily armed gangs, dot the highways leading to the Dominican Republic, a border crossing the Embassy urges Americans to avoid.
Inside Haiti, help is scarce. Fuel and medicine shortages persist, hospitals demand cash up front, and local police lack the manpower or equipment to respond to major crimes.
Even US Embassy staff live under a nightly curfew and need special permission to step off the compound in armored vehicles. Non-essential personnel and all family members were ordered out nearly two years ago and have not returned.
The State Department emphasizes that its ability to provide assistance is “extremely limited.” Therefore, anyone still intent on traveling to Haiti is urged to register with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program and to create evacuation plans that do not depend on the US government.
Additionally, they are advised to leave DNA samples with a doctor in the United States, highlighting that, for the time being, one of America’s closest Caribbean neighbors is essentially off-limits.
State Department Advisory Levels
To help travelers assess international safety risks, the US government uses the following four-level system:
- Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
- Level 3: Reconsider Travel
- Level 4: Do Not Travel
You can check the latest updates at
travelmaps.state.gov
.
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