Haiti’s criminal gangs have exerted “near-total control” over the capital, as escalating violence pushes the Caribbean nation “closer to the brink,” senior U.N. officials warned Wednesday.

Gangs control an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince, Ghada Fathy Waly, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, told the U.N. Security Council. Waly noted that gangs are expanding into previously peaceful areas.

“Southern Haiti, which until recently was insulated from the violence, has seen a sharp increase in gang-related incidents,” she said. “And in the east, criminal groups are exploiting land routes, including key crossings like Belladere and Malpasse, where attacks against police and customs officials have been reported.”

U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenca informed the council that “the ongoing gang encirclement of Port-au-Prince” and their strengthened foothold in the capital and beyond is “pushing the situation closer to the brink.”

“While the expansion of territorial control brings gangs additional sources of revenue and bargaining power,” the U.N. experts said in the report, “these attacks are also backed by individuals trying to destabilize the political transition for their own political goals.”

Police officers patrol a neighborhood amid gang-related violence in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on April 25, 2023. (RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory for Haiti in September 2024, warning Americans against visiting due to kidnapping, crime, civil unrest and limited healthcare.

In May, the Trump administration designated two of Haiti’s most powerful gang networks, Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, as foreign terrorist organizations and specially designated global terrorists.

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and The Associated Press contributed to this report.