Local sources told the New York Times that the missionaries were abducted from a bus leading to the airport, to drop off some of the group members before continuing on to another destination in Haiti. The country has been in a state of political upheaval for years, and abductions in it have become alarmingly common

The country's political turmoil escalated further after President Moyes was murdered at his home in July, a murder that remains unsolved. The few officials left in the country immediately began fighting for control of the government, with officials blaming each other for taking part in a conspiracy to assassinate the president.

The abduction of American missionaries came just a day after the UN Security Council extended its mission in Haiti for another nine months, a unanimous decision. Many Haitians called on the United States to send forces to stabilize the situation, but the Biden administration was reluctant to enter the area.