In a significant development, U.S. federal prosecutors have filed criminal charges against Jimmy Cherizier, the notorious leader of a gang alliance in Haiti known as "Barbecue." This gang, based in Port-au-Prince, has been linked to rampant violence, including multiple homicides, kidnappings, and attacks on vital infrastructure. The indictment also implicates Bazile Richardson, a U.S. citizen who allegedly helped finance Cherizier's operations by soliciting funds from the Haitian diaspora in the U.S.
Cherizier, a former police officer currently on the run, heads a group called Viv Ansanm (Live Together), which has gained notorious control over parts of the capital since 2020. U.S. authorities are offering a staggering $5 million for any tips leading to his arrest. "There's a good reason for the reward—he's responsible for serious human rights abuses and violence against American citizens," stated U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Cherizier is suspected of involvement in the horrific La Saline massacre of 2018, which claimed 71 lives and left hundreds displaced. In contrast, Richardson, having grown up in Haiti, was arrested in Texas and is accused of channeling funds to support gang operations. More ominously, both men are said to be key players in the ongoing security crisis in Haiti, a nation already teetering on economic collapse and rampant gang warfare following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
Additionally, Viv Ansanm has been classified as a foreign terrorist organization by U.S. authorities, underscoring the international concern surrounding Cherizier's escalating influence. As the gang continues to wreak havoc in Haiti, the humanitarian situation deteriorates, with over half the population facing severe food shortages and displacement.
Despite international sanctions from the U.S., UN, Canada, and Britain, Cherizier remains heavily fortified on the streets of Port-au-Prince. As efforts to regain control through a UN-backed Kenyan security force have largely failed, the cycle of violence and instability in Haiti appears to persist.
Cherizier, a former police officer currently on the run, heads a group called Viv Ansanm (Live Together), which has gained notorious control over parts of the capital since 2020. U.S. authorities are offering a staggering $5 million for any tips leading to his arrest. "There's a good reason for the reward—he's responsible for serious human rights abuses and violence against American citizens," stated U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
Cherizier is suspected of involvement in the horrific La Saline massacre of 2018, which claimed 71 lives and left hundreds displaced. In contrast, Richardson, having grown up in Haiti, was arrested in Texas and is accused of channeling funds to support gang operations. More ominously, both men are said to be key players in the ongoing security crisis in Haiti, a nation already teetering on economic collapse and rampant gang warfare following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
Additionally, Viv Ansanm has been classified as a foreign terrorist organization by U.S. authorities, underscoring the international concern surrounding Cherizier's escalating influence. As the gang continues to wreak havoc in Haiti, the humanitarian situation deteriorates, with over half the population facing severe food shortages and displacement.
Despite international sanctions from the U.S., UN, Canada, and Britain, Cherizier remains heavily fortified on the streets of Port-au-Prince. As efforts to regain control through a UN-backed Kenyan security force have largely failed, the cycle of violence and instability in Haiti appears to persist.
