Haitian kidnap of 17 from America

As many as 17 US Christian missionaries and their family members — including children — were kidnapped by gang members in Haiti while they were leaving an orphanage, Haitian security officials told The New York Times.

They said the missionaries were taken from a bus on its way to the airport to drop some members off in the island nation’s capital of Port-au-Prince before going to another location in Haiti, the paper reported.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed to The Post that it is aware of the report.

“The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State,” the spokesperson said. “We are aware of these reports and have nothing additional to offer at this time.”

While kidnappings are alarmingly common in the politically torn nation, officials were shocked at the bold abduction of such a large number of people, the Times reported.

Political turmoil increased after President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by gunmen in his home in July, a case that has yet to be solved by law enforcement.

Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon whom Moïse had appointed prime minister two days before Moïse was gunned down, took control of the country in the power struggle that followed.