Haiti – US Issues Reward to Capture Gang Leader of $Million

2026-02-23 - 18:56

United States authorities have announced a US$1 million reward for information leading to the capture of Haitian gang leader Johnson “Izo” André, intensifying international efforts to curb escalating gang violence in Haiti. The development comes as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed that another prominent gang figure, Vitel’Homme Innocent, has been removed from its “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list despite remaining at large. Innocent, who previously carried a US$2 million bounty, was taken off the list after investigators determined the designation was no longer likely to assist in his capture. The FBI explained that although he “remains at large, he no longer fits established criteria for continued inclusion” on the list. According to the agency, Innocent’s confirmed presence in Haiti means that continued placement among the most-wanted fugitives would not generate new leads. “Innocent has been located in Haiti, therefore his continued placement on the (list) is not expected to result in any additional information that would lead to his capture,” the FBI said, noting that “extensive investigation, as well as continued media exposure from 2023 to the present, has not resulted in the arrest of the gang leader.” Officials emphasized, however, that investigative efforts remain ongoing and that “the active investigation intended to apprehend him will continue.” Meanwhile, US law enforcement agencies are turning their focus toward André, believed to be in his twenties and widely known by the alias “Izo.” Authorities say he is a senior figure within the heavily armed 5 Segond (5 Segonn) gang, one of the most powerful criminal organisations operating in Haiti. The FBI is seeking André in connection with the March 18, 2023 kidnapping of a United States citizen in Port-au-Prince. The US State Department alleges that the abduction was carried out on André’s orders, with the victim transported to Village de Dieu — a coastal neighbourhood south of the capital that serves both as the gang’s stronghold and a base for kidnapping operations. Officials said the hostage was released on March 27, 2023, after a ransom was paid that included the victim’s vehicle and firearms belonging to the victim’s father. In December 2024, André was formally charged through a criminal complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia in connection with the case. “André remains at large and is believed to reside in Village de Dieu,” the State Department stated, adding that the gang leader and his associates are also implicated in cocaine trafficking activities. Authorities further noted that André and the 5 Segond gang form part of the Viv Ansanm coalition, a powerful alliance of armed groups recently designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organisation. The coalition has been linked to widespread violence across Haiti, including at least 1,035 documented cases of sexual violence. The reward announcement underscores growing international concern over Haiti’s deteriorating security situation, where armed gangs continue to expand territorial control amid political instability and weakened state institutions.