Haitian journalist Osnel Espérance was abducted on March 13, 2026 while reporting in the capital city Port-au-Prince, along with fellow journalist Junior Célestin, according to Haitian media outlets Le Nouvelliste and VantBef Info.
Espérance and Célestin, who work respectively for Uni FM and Megastar, two independent radio stations, were on an assignment near a gang-controlled neighborhood when they were intercepted by armed individuals affiliated with the 5 Second gang, according to news reports.
Espérance and Célestin’s abduction comes against a backdrop of intensifying violence in Port-au-Prince as Haitian police are on a major offensive against a gang coalition known as Viv Ansanm (Living Together) to regain control of a neighborhood held by the gang.
The abduction occurred near positions held by the 5 Second gang, one of the larger gangs in the coalition, headed by Andre Johnson, aka “Izo” — a notorious gang leader wanted by the FBI for hostage taking of a U.S. citizen in 2023.
Rosemanie Erneste, Espérance’s wife, told reporters she hasn’t heard from him since March 13.
Journalists and human rights defenders in Haiti “are under great risk,” William O’Neill, the U.N. expert on human rights in Haiti, told reporters on March 16 during a press conference. “Haiti is one of the most dangerous places to be a journalist,” added O’Neill, who visited Haiti early March.