U.S. raises reward to US$5 million for Haiti gang leader “Barbecue”

Washington.- The U.S. State Department has raised its reward to US$5 million for information leading to the capture of Jimmy Chérizier, alias “Barbecue,” Haiti’s most notorious gang leader. The move follows the Haitian government’s declaration of a three-month state of emergency amid escalating violence that has placed about 90% of Port-au-Prince under gang control. Chérizier recently vowed to overthrow the Presidential Transitional Council, which is working to restore stability and hold elections later this year.

District Attorney Jeanine Ferris of Washington, D.C., said Chérizier is responsible for severe human rights abuses, including violence against American citizens in Haiti, stressing that ending the country’s violence is a priority. Chérizier and his associate Bazile Richardson, a naturalized U.S. citizen, face charges of conspiring to transfer funds illegally from the U.S. to support the Viv Ansanm gang, in violation of U.S. sanctions. So far in 2025, more than 1,632 deaths have been reported and thousands displaced due to gang violence.

Despite his role in the chaos, Chérizier claims Haiti needs peace, calling the Presidential Transitional Council members “thieves” and asserting that their removal is key to resolving the crisis. In a video message, he declared his intention to take over the Prime Minister’s Office and the council’s headquarters to end what he described as the current untenable situation.