Get That ‘Barbecue,’ US Offers $5 Million Bounty for Haitian Gang Leader
WASHINGTON / PORT-AU-PRINCE — The U.S. government has announced a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Jimmy Chérizier, the notorious Haitian gang leader known as “Barbecue”. The move follows an indictment issued on August 12, 2025, by a federal grand jury in Washington, charging him with conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions and financing criminal operations in Haiti.
According to prosecutors, Chérizier and an alleged accomplice, Bazile Richardson, began raising funds from members of the Haitian diaspora in the U.S. in December 2020. The money was used to pay gang members and buy weapons, despite Chérizier being under U.S. sanctions since 2020 for human rights abuses. His coalition, Viv Ansanm, was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization in May 2025.
One Haitian American in North Carolina is accused of transferring nearly $40,000 to Chérizier in violation of U.S. law. However, many analysts view the indictment and reward as largely symbolic, given previous U.S. efforts to capture Haitian gang leaders have failed. Critics argue that without direct support for Haiti’s overstretched police force, Washington’s strategy is unlikely to produce results.
Chérizier, a former Haitian National Police officer dismissed in 2018, earned the nickname “Barbecue” — either from his mother’s fried chicken business or, more darkly, alleged massacres he denies committing. After leaving the police, he formed the Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies, later expanding it into the Viv Ansanm coalition, uniting over a dozen gangs in Port-au-Prince.
He is widely blamed for orchestrating violent attacks, including the 2018 La Saline massacre, which left at least 71 dead, hundreds of homes destroyed, and multiple rapes. Despite being wanted, Chérizier frequently appears in media interviews, claiming to be a revolutionary fighting Haiti’s corrupt elite. In a recent video, he declared: “My name is Jimmy Chérizier, BBQ. If the FBI wants me, I’m here.”
Rising Threat to Transitional Government
Chérizier remains a powerful force in Haiti’s chaotic political landscape. In 2020, he unified nine gangs under the G9 alliance, later brokering a truce among rival factions to form Viv Ansanm, now controlling most of the capital. Under his command, gangs shut down airports, erected roadblocks, and displaced over 1 million people, while the U.N. reports more than 3,100 killings in just the first half of 2025.
In early 2024, Chérizier’s actions led to the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry. More recently, in August 2025, just hours before the inauguration of Haiti’s new transitional leadership, he threatened to storm government offices. In a video released on August 7, he appeared armed and declared: “Help us in the battle to free the country.”
That same day, Laurent Saint-Cyr, a prominent businessman and insurance executive, was sworn in as president of the Transitional Presidential Council (TPC), replacing Fritz Alphonse Jean in the rotating role. Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé also took office, marking the first time two private-sector figures have held Haiti’s top executive posts.
Saint-Cyr, who has led both Haiti’s national Chamber of Commerce and the American Chamber of Commerce, currently serves as the inaugural Yale Peace Fellow at the Jackson School’s International Leadership Center.
Fragile Leadership Amid Chaos
The inauguration, held under heavy security in Port-au-Prince — where gangs control roughly 90% of neighborhoods — was quickly followed by violence. Armed groups launched attacks on roads leading to government headquarters, leaving at least one dead and another injured. U.N.-backed Kenyan police, part of a multinational security mission, repelled assaults involving Molotov cocktails and ambushes. However, the force remains understaffed, with under 1,000 officers and no air support.
In his address, Saint-Cyr acknowledged the nation’s perilous state: “It’s not the time for beautiful speeches. It’s time to act.” He pledged to restore state authority and called for international military aid, more troops, and resources for the national police. His transitional presidency is set to last until February 7, 2026, though doubts remain about the feasibility of holding elections by then.
Public reaction to Saint-Cyr’s leadership is sharply divided. Supporters celebrated his appointment, but critics pointed to the dominance of Haiti’s light-skinned, mixed-race elite. Both Saint-Cyr and Fils-Aimé belong to this small demographic, reigniting concerns over racial and class disparities. The TPC also faces public anger over corruption, with reports showing each of its nine members costs the state $924,000 annually, while most Haitians earn just $150–$200 per month.
U.S. Policy and Ongoing Crisis
Since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, Haiti has been in a state of near-collapse. More than 1.3 million people have been displaced, and over 8,700 killed, including 1,500 deaths in recent months alone. The U.N. warns that political gridlock within the transitional council has paralyzed governance, giving gangs further room to expand through kidnappings and killings.
Meanwhile, U.S. immigration policy has tightened. In June 2025, President Trump fully suspended visas for Haitian nationals, terminated the CHNV humanitarian parole program, and shut down the CBP One app on Inauguration Day. The administration has also moved to end Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS), though a federal court has blocked that decision until at least February 2026. Despite restrictions, asylum and refugee protections remain available for Haitians who reach U.S. soil.
Outlook Uncertain
With no extradition treaty between Haiti and the U.S., it remains unclear how — or if — Jimmy Chérizier could ever face trial in America. As the country’s security situation deteriorates further and the international community struggles to respond, many fear Haiti’s fragile government may not survive long enough to restore order — or hold credible elections.
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