Two Haitians have been sanctioned by the US Treasury for their membership in the Viv Ansanm criminal alliance, one of whom is a former police officer and the other an alleged gang leader.
In a news release released on Friday, a Treasury official claimed that Kempes Sanon and Dimitri Herard had colluded with Viv Ansanm, contributing to Haiti’s upheaval.
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In the US, no one can access any asset or property because of the sanctions. Additionally, they forbid entities with US addresses from collaborating with the two men.
The director of the US Office of Foreign Assets Control, Bradley T. Smith, said in a statement that “Today’s action highlights the crucial role of gang leaders and facilitators like Herard and Sanon, whose support enables Viv Ansanm’s campaign of violence, extortion, and terrorism in Haiti.
US President Donald Trump has attempted to take a hard line stance against criminal organizations in Latin America since taking office for a second term, blaming them for illegal immigration and drug trafficking on American soil.
Trump has referred to their actions as a criminal “invasion,” using nativist language to defend military action in international waters.
Trump’s crackdown included Viv Ansanm. On January 20, Trump signed an executive order establishing the definition of “foreign terrorist organizations” for his administration.
Several weeks later, that process started. In May, Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, a different Haitian criminal organization, were added to the growing list of international criminal organizations that received the “foreign terrorist” designation.
A power vacuum has developed in Haiti since Jovenel Moise’s assassination in 2021. The last democratically elected officials to win a seat in the country held in 2016 were in 2023, and they were the last ones to win.
That has led to a public confidence crisis that gangs and other criminal networks have abused to increase their influence. One of the most powerful organizations is Viv Ansanm, a coalition of gangs with a focus in Port-au-Prince, the capital.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s executive director, Ghada Waly, warned in July that the gangs now have “near-total control of the capital,” with 90% of its territory under their control.
The country’s gang violence has caused 1.4 million people to flee, up 36% over the previous year. More than 5, 600 people died and 2, 212 were injured last year.
Herard, a former police officer, was accused of colluding with the Viv Ansanm alliance through training and the distribution of weapons in the US Treasury’s sanctions on Friday.
Herard was detained by Haitian authorities for his involvement in the Moise murder, according to the article. In 2024, he later escaped.
Sanon is credited with being the leader of the Viv Ansanm alliance’s Bel Air gang. He was cited by the Treasury as having “a significant role” in establishing Viv Ansanm’s authority and being responsible for kidnappings, killings, and extortion.
On Friday, the UN Security Council designated both Sanon and Herard in a similar fashion to the US’s sanctions. Additionally, it agreed to extend the arms embargo that Haiti’s arms embargo started in 2022.
A “gang suppression force” with a 12-month mandate to work with Haitian police and military was approved by the UNSC in September. 5, 550 people are expected to make up the force, which will be led by Kenyan-led operations to strengthen Haiti’s security forces.
The Trump administration, however, claimed on Friday that the UN’s efforts to combat gangs in Haiti were insufficient. More suspect designations were demanded, in addition.
The list is incomplete, despite our admiration for the Council’s decision to design these individuals. According to US Ambassador Jennifer Locetta, there are more enticers of Haiti’s insecurity who are avoiding accountability.
Better is what Haiti deserves. Please continue to lobby the Security Council and its affiliate organizations to make sure the sanctions lists are accurate.
Source: Aljazeera
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