A criminal complaint filed in the District of Columbia charges Johnson Andre, known as "Izo," a Haitian national and leader of the 5 Segond gang, with the alleged armed hostage-taking of a U.S. citizen in Haiti in March 2023. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles from the Miami Field Office.
The affidavit supporting the complaint states that Andre's gang operates in Village de Dieu, near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The gang is involved in kidnappings for ransom and robberies to finance its operations, including paying members' salaries and purchasing weapons and ammunition from abroad.
Andre allegedly ordered his gang to identify potential victims for kidnapping. On March 18, 2023, armed members abducted a victim at gunpoint and took him to Village de Dieu. The victim was held for nine days during which he suffered physical abuse. Andre reportedly visited the victim during captivity to negotiate ransom with the victim’s family. Following a ransom payment on March 27, 2023, the victim was released.
Andre remains at large but is believed to reside in Village de Dieu. He was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on December 8, 2023, due to human rights abuses linked to his role as a gang leader under Executive Order 13818.
If convicted, Andre faces up to life imprisonment.
The investigation is led by the FBI’s Miami Field Office with support from its Legal Attaché Office in Haiti and assistance from the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack F. Korba prosecutes the case with help from Paralegal Specialist Michael Watts for the District of Columbia.
Charges are allegations; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
