National Police Chief Léon Charles has resigned. Local media reported that Frantz Elbé, the inspector general of the National Police, will replace Charles as chief.
Léon Charles made the announcement hours after a video surfaced on Haitian social media of Wilson Joseph, leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, threatening Prime Minister Ariel Henry and the police chief during what appeared to be an outdoor funeral.
"Ariel Henry, Leon Charles! Guys, don't forget today, Wednesday, everyone must pay their debts. Those guys brought me to tears. Five soldiers have fallen, but it won't destroy the army," Joseph said, apparently referring to five gang members who were shot and killed this week.
Joseph also threatened to kill the 17 missionaries he kidnapped on Saturday if his demands were not met.
At the White House, reporters asked Karine Jean-Pierre, the principal deputy press secretary, if the administration was aware of the threat.
"We have in the administration been relentlessly focused on this, including sending a team to Haiti from the State Department, working very closely with the FBI, which is the lead in these kinds of matters, in constant communication with the Haitian National Police, the church that the missionaries belong to, as well as the Haitian government. And we will do everything that we can to help resolve the situation," Jean-Pierre said.
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