Five Americans, a Russian and a Serb are said to have been arrested along with a cache of weapons in Haiti, where protests have been taking place.

Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste reported police found six machine guns, seven pistols, drones, satellite phones and flak jackets in their two vehicles in the capital Port-au-Prince.

The Miami Herald reported that the men told officers they were on "a government mission".

Businesses and government offices slowly reopened across Haiti on Monday after more than a week of violent demonstrations by hundreds of thousands of protesters.

Image: A demonstrator walks past a burning barricade during protests on 15 February

The demonstrators were demanding the resignation of President Jovenel Moise after prices rocketed in the wake of allegations of government corruption.


The US State Department said it was aware Haitian police had arrested a group that included US citizens. Eight were held, in total, Le Nouvelliste said, including one Haitian.

Social media profiles said to belong to the men printed in Haitian newspapers corresponded to US citizens claiming military backgrounds, Reuters said.

Image: Hundreds of thousands of people have been on the streets of Port-au-Prince

The Herald said head of the Port-au-Prince police station Joel Casseus told it the men at first refused to identify themselves or explain why they were heavily armed and travelling in a Toyota Prado and Ford Pickup without plates.

A search of the vehicles also found a telescope, professional tapes and documents with lists of names, a police source told the paper.

The men told police "they were on a mission, and they didn't have to speak to us," Mr Casseus told The Herald. "They said they were on a government mission."

Haitian demonstrators continue to block roads as food, water and gas becomes scarce and vow to continue until President Moise resigns.

A state department source said US citizens arrested overseas were entitled to appropriate consular assistance but declined to give more details.

Many of the protesters who have been filling the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince in the past few days have been calling for an independent probe into the whereabouts of funds from the PetroCaribe agreement, an alliance between Caribbean countries and OPEC member Venezuela.

Under the agreement, Venezuela allowed participating nations to buy oil under preferential terms.

Image: Some protesters in Port-au-Prince shouted 'Long live Putin, down with the Americans'

A Haitian Senate investigation has alleged at least 14 former officials in ex-president Michel Martelly's administration embezzled money from the $3.8bn programme, but no one has been charged.

Some of the protesters also burned a US flag and chanted "Long live Putin, down with the Americans".

Since Mr Moise came to power following an election in 2016 that the US said was marred by incidents of violence and intimidation, the price of basic goods, including petrol, has more than doubled.

Mr Moise has refused to step down, but his prime minister, Jean-Henry Ceant, said over the weekend that certain government budgets would be cut by 30%.

At least six people have died during demonstrations across Haiti protesting against allegations of government corruption.

Mr Ceant made a number of other promises including vowing to investigate alleged misspending tied to the PetroCaribe agreement.

Many Haitians are dubious and schools remained closed on Monday amid fears of more violence.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere and about 60% of its nearly 10.5 million people struggle to get by on $2 a day.