Jennifer Viau, a spokeswoman for the US state department in Washington, said by email that “we’re looking into this.” The US embassy in Haiti did not respond to a request for comment outside business hours.
Seventeen American missionaries and their families, including children, were abducted on Saturday by gang members of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, reports The New York Times, quoting security officials there. The abduction took place when missionaries left an orphanage in a troubled Caribbean country, The Times reported. They were abducted on a bus bound for the airport and dropped off by other party members before continuing on to Haiti, according to a report, citing local officials.
Jennifer Viau, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of State in Washington, said in an email that "we're looking into this." The U.S. embassy in Haiti did not respond to a request for comment other than working hours.
Haitian police spokesman said he wanted information on the matter. The report did not provide details about the missionaries or their church.
The rise in gang violence has displaced thousands of people and disrupted economic activity in one of the poorest countries in the America. Violence escalated after the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July and an August earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people.
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