U.S., PANAMA PUSH U.N. HAITI GANG FORCE AMID CHILD RECRUITMENT SURGE; ICE, DOJ STEP UP STATESIDE CRACKDOWN

The U.S. and Panama are advancing a draft at the U.N. Security Council to create a better-resourced gang suppression force and a U.N. Support Office for Haiti, amid reports that children now comprise about half of gang ranks and a 700% surge in recruitment early in 2025. The Kenyan-led UN-backed mission remains under-manned and under-funded, prompting calls to strengthen logistics and enforce the arms embargo, with most guns trafficked from Florida. Context: Separate reporting shows the U.S. is also escalating enforcement against Haitian gangs and their U.S.-based supporters through DOJ/ICE actions and bounties, signaling a multi-track strategy.