August 12, 2025 — A federal indictment that was unsealed today has charged Jimmy Cherizier, the infamous Haitian gang leader known as “Barbecue,” along with Bazile Richardson, a naturalized U.S. citizen, for conspiring to breach U.S. sanctions by transferring funds from the United States to finance violent gang activities in Haiti.
Cherizier, aged 48, is still at large and is thought to be in Port-au-Prince, while Richardson, also 48, was apprehended on July 23 in Pasadena, Texas, and is anticipated to make his initial court appearance today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Alongside the unsealing of the indictment, the U.S. Department of State has announced a reward of up to $5 million for information that leads to Cherizier’s arrest or conviction. Tips can be provided to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at www.tips.fbi.gov, or to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
Gang Financing in Violation of U.S. Sanctions
Court documents reveal that Cherizier and Richardson worked with individuals in the U.S., Haiti, and other nations to solicit and transfer funds to support Cherizier’s gang—Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies—which is known for extensive violence and human rights violations in Haiti.
The money was utilized to pay the salaries of gang members and to acquire illegal firearms. The indictment outlines how the two men solicited donations from members of the Haitian diaspora in the United States, sharing receipts and confirmation photos with Cherizier after the transfers were completed through intermediaries.
In December 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Cherizier as a Specially Designated National (SDN) under sanctions due to his involvement in the 2018 La Saline massacre, which resulted in the deaths of 71 individuals, the destruction of hundreds of homes, and the sexual violence against women by armed gangs. Under the SDN designation, any financial dealings with Cherizier by U.S. persons are forbidden without special authorization U.S. Officials Condemn Violence and Support Justice.
“Cherizier and a U.S. associate sought to raise funds in the United States to bankroll Cherizier’s violent criminal enterprise, which is driving a security crisis in Haiti,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division does not tolerate criminal gang fundraising in the United States.”
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia added, “There’s a good reason that there’s a $5 million reward for information leading to Cherizier’s arrest. He’s a gang leader responsible for heinous human rights abuses, including violence against American citizens in Haiti.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director Darren Cox said, “Jimmy ‘Barbecue’ Cherizier’s gang is no exception to our mission of dismantling foreign terrorist organizations wherever they operate.”
Acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons described Cherizier’s activities as “unconscionable,” citing the gang’s involvement in firearms trafficking, money laundering, and oppression of Haitian civilians.
Chris Landberg, a Senior Official from the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, has confirmed the $5 million reward and highlighted the U.S. dedication to pursuing high-ranking transnational criminal leaders such as Cherizier.
Cherizier’s gang, known as Viv Ansanm, is classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and has been instrumental in the destabilization of Haiti, bringing together different criminal factions against the legitimate government of the country.
An indictment serves as a formal charge, not as evidence of guilt. All defendants, including Richardson and Cherizier, are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
