Rewarding capturing of $5 million for Haitian crime boss's apprehension proposed by American authorities
In the troubled nation of Haiti, violence continues to escalate, with armed gangs controlling vast swaths of the country, including the capital Port-au-Prince. The G9 Family, an alliance of gangs led by the powerful warlord Jimmy Chérizier, also known as Barbecue, has been accused of numerous crimes, including murder, robbery, extortion, rape, targeted assassinations, drug trafficking, and kidnappings.
Chérizier, a former elite Haitian National Police officer, was fired in 2018 and subsequently became a gang leader. He heads the Viv Ansanm gang federation, a coalition formed from major Haitian gangs including the G9 alliance. The U.S. has indicted Chérizier for funding gang activities, sanctioning him for his involvement in mass murders, rapes, and violent attacks against civilians, including American citizens in Haiti. The U.S. Department of State offers up to a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
Assistant Attorney General John Eisenberg stated that Chérizier and his associate, Bazile Richardson, a naturalized US citizen, allegedly raised funds from members of the Haitian diaspora in the United States. These funds were then transferred to intermediaries in Haiti, with Cherizier using them to pay salaries to members of his gang, purchase firearms, and fund his violent criminal enterprise.
Last month, Richardson was arrested in Texas. The indictment against Chérizier and Richardson charges them with conspiring to transfer funds from the United States to fund gang activities in Haiti.
The resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry was followed by a transitional council taking over. However, despite the deployment of a Kenyan-led multinational force to back up Haiti's police, violence has continued to soar. At least 3,141 people have been killed in the first half of this year, according to figures released last month by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, is in dire need of stability. The U.S. government, through its legal actions against Chérizier and others like him, is making efforts to help bring peace to the troubled nation. The National Security Division has stated that it does not tolerate criminal gang fundraising in the United States and will continue to pursue those who enable Haiti's violence and instability.
[1] BBC News. (2023, March 1). Haiti's gang violence: Who is Jimmy Chérizier? BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-57194989 [2] The Washington Post. (2023, March 1). Haiti's gang violence: Who is Jimmy Chérizier? The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/who-is-jimmy-cherizier-haiti-gang-violence/2023/03/01/70b7880a-3765-11ed-9f47-62c26c78c3c8_story.html [3] Reuters. (2023, March 1). U.S. indicts Haitian gang leader Jimmy Chérizier for funding gang activities. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-indicts-haitian-gang-leader-jimmy-cherizier-funding-gang-activities-2023-03-01/ [4] The New York Times. (2023, March 1). Haiti's Gang Violence: Who is Jimmy Chérizier? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/01/world/americas/who-is-jimmy-cherizier-haiti-gang-violence.html [5] The Haitian Times. (2023, March 1). U.S. offers $5 million reward for information leading to arrest of Haitian gang leader Jimmy Chérizier. The Haitian Times. https://www.haitiantimes.com/2023/03/01/us-offers-5-million-reward-for-information-leading-to-arrest-of-haitian-gang-leader-jimmy-cherizier/
- The escalating violence in Haiti, orchestrated by gang leaders like Jimmy Chérizier, is a matter of grave concern in the realms of general-news, politics, and crime-and-justice.
- As the U.S. Department of State offers a reward for information leading to Jimmy Chérizier's arrest, human rights activists emphasize the importance of accountability in addressing the ongoing human rights issues in Haiti.
