Haitian gang leader Jimmy Chérizier offers to cooperate with FBI

Jimmy Chérizier, the notorious Haitian gang leader known as “Barbecue,” has signaled his willingness to cooperate with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), despite being designated a foreign terrorist by American authorities in May.

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Chérizier heads the criminal group Viv Ansanm and is accused of multiple murders, kidnappings, and violent attacks in Haiti. He also appeared in a US Department of Justice indictment alongside Bazile Richardson, a 48-year-old naturalised US citizen, claiming the pair solicited funds from the Haitian diaspora in the United States to support gang operations and purchase firearms, in violation of US sanctions. The US government has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Chérizier’s arrest.

In a short video message released recently, Chérizier spoke in English, insisting Richardson, also known as “Fredo,” is innocent. “My name is Jimmy Cherizier Barbecue. If the FBI wants me, I’m here. I’m willing to collaborate with them on one condition. There can be no lies told. Basil Richardson, aka Fredo, is innocent. He has never sent any money to me to finance anything in Haiti. Stop with all those lies and we can collaborate. Thank you,” he said.

Richardson was arrested in Texas earlier this year. Prosecutors allege he helped raise funds that were funneled to gang leaders and used to buy weapons. Assistant US Attorney General John Eisenberg said both men helped “bankroll Cherizier’s violent criminal enterprise, which is driving a security crisis in Haiti.”

Chérizier is also suspected of playing a central role in the 2018 La Saline massacre, during which 71 people were killed, more than 400 homes destroyed, and at least seven women were raped.