A $5 million reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of Jimmy Cherizier, a Haitian gang leader known as “Barbecue.” Cherizier, a former police officer, now leads a gang alliance called Viv Ansanm.
Cherizier controls parts of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, which has become extremely dangerous. Violence is widespread, and many civilians are caught in the crossfire. Some reports even say bodies have been left on the streets as lawlessness spreads.
The US says Cherizier and US citizen Bazile Richardson raised money from Haitian communities in the United States to fund gang activities, buy weapons, and ignore US sanctions. Richardson was arrested in Texas last month.
Cherizier is accused of many violent crimes, including murder, kidnapping, and extortion. He is rumored to have earned his nickname “Barbecue” because he has set victims on fire.
Port-au-Prince now suffers from collapsed health services and severe food shortages. Gangs, police, and citizen groups fight constantly, making everyday life dangerous. Attempts by UN-backed forces to restore order have so far failed.
Cherizier sees himself as a “revolutionary” and claims to be a man of the people. But his actions—taking control of territory, blocking fuel, food, and medicine—have caused chaos in Haiti.
His violent career began as a police officer. In 2017, he led an operation that killed nine civilians. In 2018, he led a massacre in La Saline, one of Haiti’s worst in over a decade. He was fired from the police and became a full-time gang leader. In 2019, he led a four-day attack in Port-au-Prince that killed at least 24 people.
The US government says it will continue to target those who support Cherizier’s gang and destabilize Haiti.
