WASHINGTON, United States, Feb 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - US military officials said Tuesday American warships had arrived off the coast of Haiti, as the island country's leaders cling to power in their ongoing war against violent drug gangs.

The USS Stockdale, USCGC Stone and USCGC Diligence entered the Bay of Port-au-Prince to "reflect the United States unwavering commitment to Haiti's security, stability and a brighter future," the US embassy in Haiti posted on X.

The flotilla was sent "at the direction of the Secretary of War" Pete Hegseth as a part of "Operation Southern Spear," the statement said, referring to the US military campaign targeting alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific that has killed more than 100 people in boat strikes.

After facing years of violence and instability, Haiti is entering a new phase of political turbulence in the days before the official end of the mandate for the country's Presidential Transitional Council on February 7.

Gang violence forced the resignation in 2024 of a previous prime minister, Ariel Henry, and the country has not held elections since 2016, with government authority collapsing in much of the country, leading to overlapping security, health and economic crises.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, with swaths of the country under the control of rival armed gangs who carry out murders, rapes and kidnappings.

The US recently announced new visa restrictions targeting senior officials, who are accused of supporting gangs.