One of Haiti’s most feared gang leaders, Jimmy Chérizier — better known as “Barbecue” — has issued a defiant challenge to U.S. authorities just hours after being indicted by a federal grand jury.
In a video message circulated in Haiti on Tuesday, Chérizier stared directly into the camera and declared: “My name is Jimmy Chérizier, Barbecuw. If the FBI wants me, I’m here.” His words came after the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed charges accusing him and U.S. citizen Bazile Richardson of running a “broad conspiracy” to channel money from the Haitian diaspora into violent gang operations.
The indictment alleges that funds were used to pay gang members, purchase weapons from illegal dealers, and strengthen the grip of armed groups over large swathes of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Most firearms entering Haiti are believed to be smuggled from the United States, highlighting the cross-border nature of the crisis.

Chérizier, leader of the Viv Ansanm gang alliance, was designated by the U.S. government as a foreign terrorist in May. The State Department is offering a USD $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.
“Chérizier’s reign of terror and mass violence against Haiti must come to an end,” said Chris Landberg, a senior State Department official. But some experts doubt the practical impact of the bounty. “What is the logic of putting a bounty on someone who is not in hiding?” asked Jake Johnston, author of Aid State and a researcher at the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
Richardson, a naturalised U.S. citizen originally from Haiti, allegedly grew up with Chérizier and now lives in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Prosecutors say he coordinated money transfers from Haitian expatriates to fund the Viv Ansanm alliance, knowing the money would be used for weapons and gang payrolls.
Chérizier, however, insists Richardson is innocent — a claim U.S. officials dismiss given the scale of the alleged transactions.
The charges come as Haiti faces an unprecedented security breakdown. Armed gangs now control the majority of Port-au-Prince, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. The collapse of law enforcement and government institutions has created a power vacuum that groups like Viv Ansanm have exploited.
With no extradition treaty between Haiti and the United States, it is unclear how — or if — Chérizier could be brought to trial on U.S. soil. His brazen defiance, however, underscores the difficulty both Haitian and international authorities face in dismantling entrenched criminal networks.
As the international community debates how to restore stability, the case against Chérizier and Richardson offers a stark reminder of how local violence is sustained by global money flows — and how challenging it will be to cut those lines of support.
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