Inside the military veteran-led harrowing rescue missions in Haiti to save distressed U.S. citizens trapped in country ravaged by gangs and warlords: An estimated 500 Americans are STILL trying to flee as havoc wrecks the country

A U.S. veteran-led group is on the ground in Haiti attempting to rescue Americans trapped in the embattled country currently overrun by ruthless gangs. 

The Caribbean nation devolved into chaos this month as gangs seized control and overran prisons releasing at least 4,000 inmates who have since gone on a killing spree, taking over many public buildings and shutting down travel in and out of the country.

The gangs have also taken over the streets and airports, effectively trapping people attempting to escape. 

Project DYNAMO, a veteran-led nonprofit specializing in conflict and natural disaster rescue, was in Haiti Friday conducting rescue missions to get Americans out.

DYNAMO Founder and CEO Bryan Stern said Thursday before the mission the situation on the ground was going to be treacherous.

'The gangs own the roads, the gangs own the airports,' he told DailyMail.com. 'They're very well armed, they're very well resourced.' 

The group has received 30 requests for evacuation as of Friday morning, including several for small children. They estimate up to 500 Americans could be trapped in the country. 

Gang violence has broke out on the streets throughout Haiti, making it difficult for visitors trying to evacuate 

The group will also avoid the roads because of the unpredictability of the gang violence that is playing out on the streets.

 'A lot of the threat actors on the streets are 15, 16, 17-year-old kids with belt-fed machine guns,' he told reporters Thursday.

The evacuation, he said, will have to take place by air. 

'Our intent is to do a ground movement for some Americans from where they are to a rally point.'

Then, Stern said, the group would 'land helicopters,' board the passengers, and 'fly those helicopters over to the Dominican Republic.'

It will take multiple trips to and from the landing area to shuttle out all of the individuals who have requested rescue, Stern said.  

The group could evacuate individuals by sea, but the CEO said the option is slow and the sea conditions are poor. 

Some of the Americans who have contacted his group were on vacation or on missionary trips. 

Time is of the essence, the DYNAMO leader added, because soon the gangs will begin kidnapping Americans and holding them for ransom.   

'The kidnapping threat, that's the next phase of this. Americans are the lottery ticket, which is how the gangs are already funding themselves, largely through kidnappings.' 

Most of the ransoms so far have been non-Americans, Stern said, but that could soon change. 

Project DYNAMO CEO Bryan Stern has been coordinating rescue operations from the Dominican Republic

DYNAMO will opt to evacuate Americans using helicopters as the streets are too dangerous

Gangs have also overrun several airports, trapping those wishing to fly out of Haiti

Haitian police officers take part in an operation on the surroundings of the National Penitentiary following a fire

And there are plenty to rescue.  

American missionary Jill Dolan who runs the Love a Neighbor orphanage in rural Haiti was trapped with three of her children, aged 14 to 20, when fighting broke out. 

She said the U.S. government has done little to help her or her family. 

Reps. Cory Mills, R-Fla., and  Lisa McClain, R-Mich., however, helped coordinate a rescue mission for several Americans trapped in Haiti this week, getting them safely out of the country. 

The State Department, meanwhile, has not released a figure on how many Americans remain stranded on the island nation. 

DYNAMO has conducted rescue operations across the globe, most notably in Afghanistan during the U.S. military withdrawal. 

The group has rescued over 6,800 people, according to its site.