Officials urge Americans not to travel to island spot amid kidnappings, 6-figure ransom demands

The U.S. State Department issued an updated warning advising Americans not to travel to Haiti — citing widespread kidnappings and ransom demands often reaching into the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Sharing the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, Haiti has been gripped by escalating gang violence and instability.

In an April 16 travel advisory, the U.S. State Department warned that violent crime is still rampant in the Caribbean nation, particularly in its capital city of Port-au-Prince.