US Offers $5 Million Reward for Haitian Gang Leader Jimmy 'Barbeque' Cherizier

Indictment of Jimmy 'Barbeque' Cherizier

• 💡 Jimmy Cherizier, also known as 'Barbeque,' is the first individual indicted under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
• 🎯 He is accused of planning and participating in violent campaigns against Haitians, including the 2018 Loelene attack that killed approximately 71 people.

Co-Defendant and Sanctions Violations

• 📌 Bazil Richardson, a naturalized US citizen, was indicted for sending money from the Haitian diaspora in the US to Cherizier.
• ⚠️ Richardson allegedly knew Cherizier was sanctioned under the 2020 Magnitsky Act.
• 🚚 Richardson, a trucker from North Carolina, was apprehended in Texas.

State Department Reward and Public Warning

• 💰 The State Department has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Cherizier's arrest or conviction.
• 📢 The public is warned that providing financial support to Cherizier, knowing his violent acts and sanctions status, will lead to prosecution.
• ⚖️ Authorities emphasize that they will not ignore individuals supporting those committing human rights abuses.

Broader Context of Violence in Haiti

• 🇭🇹 This action is part of a larger effort to address significant violence in Haiti.
• 🚢 The office has previously secured a conviction against an individual involved in the kidnapping of 16 American missionaries in Haiti.
• 🌍 The State Department's involvement highlights the severity of the ongoing crisis and the commitment to holding perpetrators accountable under the Magnitsky Act.