Friday January 12, 2014, the European Union added to its sanctions list 4 Haitian gang leaders, included on the UN list by the Sanctions Committee on December 8, 2023 :

Johnson André alias alias "Izo" Leader of the "5 Segond" Gang (1-4)

Renel Destina aka "Ti Lapli" Leader of the "Grand Ravine" Gang (2-4)

Wilson Joseph alias "Lanmo San Jou" Leader of "400 Mawozo" (3-4)

Vitelhomme Innocent aka "Vitelom" Leader of the "Kraze Barye" gang (4-4)

For each of these individuals, the UN Sanctions Committee provided a summary of the reasons for the listing. We invite you every day to discover each of these gang leaders and the reasons for their registration.

Vitelhomme INNOCENT alias "Vitelom" :

Function : leader of the "Kraze Barye" gang

Date of birth : March 27, 1986

Place of birth : Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Nationality : Haitian

National identification number : Haiti 004-341-263-3

Address : 64, Soisson, Tabarre 49, Port-au-Prince

Date of designation by the United Nations : December 8, 2023

Gender : male

Additional information from the narrative summary of reasons for listing provided by the Sanctions Committee :

Vitelhomme Innocent is the leader of the Kraze Barye gang, which has become one of the most powerful gangs in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, with an increasing number of fighters and semi-automatic weapons (see UN document S/2023/674, para. 66). Innocent has been involved in activities that threaten the peace, security, and stability of Haiti.

Under Innocent’s leadership, the Krazye Barye gang has committed human rights abuses involving murder rape, recruitment of children, and kidnapping for ransom, as well as other crimes such as armed robbery, destruction of property, theft of vehicles, spoilation of land, and destruction of property (see UN document S/2023/674, para. 141, Annex 4). Innocent is also wanted by the Haitian National Police for crimes including murder, attempted murder, rape, armed robbery vehicle theft, and kidnapping (see UN document S/2023/674, Annex 19)

Kraze Barye has targeted the Haitian National Police on multiple occasions, resulting in the deaths of several police officers and damage to police stations. Moreover, the populations of Petion-Ville, Kenscoff, Tabarre, Croix-des-Bouquets, and Delmas communes have repeatedly suffered attacks by Innocent’s gang over the past three years, which have contributed to displacement of thousands of people. He has continued to commit abuses against the police and the population, including those involving the spoliation of land and property, killings, looting, stealing and kidnapping of influential individuals (see UN document S/2023/674, para 66).

In July 2023, the Kraze Barye gang continued to attack, kill, and rape residents of Fort-Jacques, Truitier and Dumornay. As of 10 August 2023, Kraze Barye’s attacks had resulted in the displacement of around 2 000 people, including 229 minors (see UN document S/2023/674, para. 151).

Innocent has conducted targeted kidnappings against prominent figures, such as the regional director of APN port of Cap-Haïtien, the director of a private television station on “Route des Freres”, the director of the “Radio Commerciale d’Haiti,” as well as a famous journalist and the former president of the Provisional Electoral Commission, among others (see UN document S/2023/674, Annex 22). Innocent was indicted on charges related to the October 2022 armed hostage taking, in Haiti, of two U.S. citizens, one of whom was killed during the event (Press release, United States Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia, October 24, 2023).

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41467-haiti-eu-sanctions-lanmo-san-jou-leader-of-the-400-mawozo-gang-and-reasons-for-the-sanctions-3-4.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41462-haiti-eu-sanctions-ti-lapli-leader-of-the-grand-ravin-gang-and-reasons-for-the-sanctions-2-4.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41453-haiti-eu-sanctions-izo-leader-of-the-5-segond-gang-and-reasons-for-the-sanctions-1-4.html

HL/ HaitiLibre