The United States Department of State has escalated its pursuit of notorious Haitian gang leader Johnson ‘Izo’ André, announcing a substantial financial incentive of up to $1 million for intelligence leading to his capture. This development marks a significant intensification in international efforts to combat organized crime in Haiti.
The Rewards for Justice program, administered by the U.S. State Department, is coordinating the initiative and has established secure channels for informants to submit tips. The program explicitly offers relocation assistance for individuals whose cooperation might endanger their safety, acknowledging the considerable risks involved in providing information about criminal organizations.
The bounty specifically targets information related to André’s involvement in the March 2023 kidnapping of an American citizen in Port-au-Prince. According to investigative findings, the victim gained freedom on March 27, 2023, following ransom payment and the return of vehicles and firearms belonging to the victim’s family. U.S. authorities have conclusively linked the 5 Segond gang, under André’s leadership, to this criminal operation.
Haitian law enforcement agencies have outstanding warrants for André on multiple serious charges including homicide, armed kidnapping, weapons violations, cargo truck hijackings, and criminal conspiracy. Intelligence suggests he currently operates from the Village de Dieu neighborhood in downtown Port-au-Prince.
Documented evidence reveals André’s organization perpetrated extensive human rights violations, with 1,035 documented cases of sexual violence attributed to the gang in 2022 alone. These atrocities prompted the U.S. Department of the Treasury to impose sanctions against André in December 2023 under Executive Order 13818, which targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuses.
The criminal prosecution advanced significantly in December 2024 when U.S. authorities formally filed kidnapping and conspiracy charges against André. He now joins other high-profile Haitian gang leaders including Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Chérizier, Vithelhomme Innocent, and Lanmò Sanjou, all of whom are subjects of substantial international reward offers.