As heavily armed gangs continue to spread terror and turn Port-au-Prince into a battlefield, the State Department sent U.S. Marines on Sunday to reinforce security at its Embassy and evacuate non-essential personnel.

The operation took place this Sunday in the middle of the night and was carried out by helicopter by the American army at the request of the State Department.

"This airlift of personnel into and out of the embassy is consistent with our standard practice for embassy security augmentation worldwide, and no Haitians were on board the military aircrafté the United States Southern Command said in a statement.

This airlift comes amid ongoing gang attacks in several locations around the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, including in Tabarre, where the US embassy is located. Several neighboring businesses were looted and stormed by armed gangs who now control more than 80% of Port-au-Prince.

The U.S. Embassy in Haiti remains open. Heightened gang violence in the neighborhood near U.S. embassy compounds and near the airport led to the State Department's decision to arrange for the departure of additional embassy personnel. All arriving and departing passengers work for the U.S. government.

HL/ HaitiLibre