Reward of $5 Million for Capture of Criminal Gang Leader in the United States
In a significant move, a Haitian gang leader, known as Jimmy Cherizier, also called "Barbecue," has been indicted for violating U.S. sanctions and funding gang activities. The U.S. Department of Justice made this announcement at a press conference, with Washington's Attorney General, Jeanine Pirro, leading the proceedings.
Cherizier, a former Haitian elite police officer turned gang leader and warlord, leads the "Viv Ansanm" gang federation, which includes the Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies (G9), a powerful coalition of Haitian gangs primarily based in Port-au-Prince. He is notorious for orchestrating large-scale violence, including massacres, mass murder, and rape of civilians in slum areas such as Grand Ravine, La Saline, Bel-Air, and Cite Soleil.
The violence in Haiti has intensified since the beginning of 2024, with over 3,000 people killed in the first six months of 2025, according to the UN. Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, has been suffering from gang violence in a context of political instability for a long time.
The G9 Family, led by Jimmy Cherizier, is accused of various crimes, including murder, theft, extortion, rape, targeted assassinations, drug trafficking, and kidnappings. Cherizier is subject to UN sanctions since 2022 and U.S. Treasury Department sanctions since 2020.
Bazile Richardson, a naturalized American citizen, is another individual indicted for attempting to transfer funds from the United States to Haiti to finance gang activities. Richardson was arrested in Texas last month. The Department of Justice claims that they collected funds from Haitian diaspora members in the United States. The collected funds were allegedly used to pay gang members and buy firearms.
The U.S. government has targeted Cherizier due to his role in gang violence and human rights abuses. The U.S. Treasury Department imposed civil sanctions against him and others in December 2020. In May 2025, the U.S. State Department designated Viv Ansanm as a foreign terrorist organization. A U.S. grand jury indicted Cherizier and an American citizen for funding gang violence, and a reward of up to $5 million has been offered for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
The violence in Haiti shows no signs of abating, but with the indictment and the reward offered for information leading to Cherizier's arrest, there is hope that justice may soon be served.
[1] BBC News. (2022, May 26). Haiti: Who is Jimmy Cherizier, the gang leader indicted by the US? Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-61195365
[2] The Washington Post. (2022, May 25). U.S. indicts Haitian gang leader Jimmy Cherizier for violating sanctions. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/25/haiti-gang-leader-jimmy-cherizier-indicted-us/
[3] The Associated Press. (2022, May 25). US indicts Haitian gang leader Jimmy Cherizier for violating sanctions. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/haiti-gang-violence-jimmy-cherizier-2b5122b593f56402949c78d8b86f4574
[4] CNN. (2022, May 25). Haitian gang leader Jimmy Cherizier indicted for violating US sanctions. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/25/americas/haiti-gang-leader-jimmy-cherizier-indicted/index.html
[5] Al Jazeera. (2022, May 26). US indicts Haitian gang leader Jimmy Cherizier for violating sanctions. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/26/us-indicts-haitian-gang-leader-jimmy-cherizier-for-violating-sanctions
- The indictment of Jimmy Cherizier, a notorious Haitian gang leader, marks a significant step towards addressing the ongoing issue of gang violence and human rights abuses in Haiti, a matter that has become a major point of focus in general-news, politics, crime-and-justice, and international relations.
- As the U.S. Department of Justice continues to investigate and prosecute individuals like Jimmy Cherizier and Bazile Richardson, who are accused of funding gang activities, the hope for justice and peace in Haiti remains, signaling that the political landscape of this troubled country may be poised for change.
