US military airlifts nonessential staff from embassy in Haiti, bolsters security amid ongoing gang violence

The U.S. military has sent forces to Haiti to airlift nonessential staff from the U.S. embassy and help bolster security amid gang violence plaguing the Caribbean nation. 

U.S. Southern Command told Fox News Digital that U.S. Military forces conducted an operation at the request of the State Department to bolster the security of the U.S. Embassy at Port-au-Prince. 

U.S. Southern Command said non-essential personnel were airlifted, and no Haitians were on board the aircraft. Nonessential personnel can include the families of diplomats, but the embassy had already ordered departure for nonessential staff and all family members in July. 

The neighborhood around the embassy in the capital, Port-au-Prince, is largely controlled by gangs.