US military veterans rescue American family of Christian missionaries trapped in gang-ridden Haiti

Rescuers medically evacuated a Christian missionary and his family, including their infant daughter, who had health complications, from the impoverished nation plagued with violence among rival gangs following the government collapse. Although facing "extreme danger," rescuers were able to successfully complete the mission. The family will be returned home to Texas later this week, once medical evaluations and paperwork are completed at the US embassy in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, the organization said in a press release.

The Texas family, identified as Zachary Ennis, 24, his wife Mica, 26, and their 5-month-old daughter, Niah, had been trapped within the mission compound in Saint-Marc, Haiti, due to continuous gang violence. A few days before the operation, a local gang decapitated a man and put his head outside the property, which has long been a target for gangs due to its strategic location.

The Ennis family poses for a photo after being rescued by Project DYNAMO. Photo courtesy: Project DYNAMO

Those involved with the operation departed Miami, Florida, at 4:30 am EST, using three aircrafts, including a private plane and a helicopter. The mission received cooperation and support from two additional nations, including the government of the Dominican Republic. The family was initially evacuated from Saint-Marc, Haiti, by helicopter and then transferred to a private aircraft that was on standby in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. According to the press release, the Project DYNAMO team and the rescued family safely landed in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, late Monday night after a brief halt in a third-party nation.

Mario Duarte, the CEO of Project Dynamo, said in the press release: "We are extremely grateful to the government of the Dominican Republic and the Directorate of National Intelligence for their support with this mission."

"Additionally, we want to sincerely thank US Senator Ted Cruz and his ongoing support throughout this process," he continued, "Without the help of him and his office, the mission would not have been possible. The bottom line is this: when and where no one else will go, if Americans are in harm's way, Project DYNAMO continues to demonstrate, we will respond."

Project DYNAMO said the mission was initiated after the organization received a plea for help from Zachary's mother, Dianne Ennis, who expressed extreme gratitude to the heroes who rescued her family. "We had family, friends, and neighbors praying for a successful outcome, and with God's help, everyone made it to safety," she said. "My entire family is so grateful to Project DYNAMO and their team for working so hard to get our son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter safely out of Haiti."

The nonprofit organization was founded in 2021 with its first mission to rescue American citizens trapped in Afghanistan during the disastrous US withdrawal that occurred under the Biden administration.