Haitian gang leader Germine Joly, alias Yonyon, was formally indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in the District of Columbia for his role in the kidnapping of 16 American missionaries and one Canadian on October 16, 2021 in Croix-des-Bouquets, while imprisoned at the National Penitentiary, Haiti’s largest prison.
The 17 missionaries, 16 Americans and one Canadian, are members of Christien Aid Ministries, a Christian organization based in Ohio, USA. Two of them were released after about a month in captivity, three others after more than two months and the last 12 after 61 days of captivity. The number 2 of the 400 Mawozo gang, “Lanmò san jou”, had demanded one million dollars per victim in exchange for their release. It is not known if a ransom was paid.
The ex-gang leader was transferred to the United States on May 3 on an international arrest warrant in connection with firearms trafficking in a separate case in the District of Columbia Court. He is scheduled to appear in court again next week for an arraignment.
“This case shows that the Department of Justice will be relentless in its efforts to track down anyone who kidnaps a U.S. citizen abroad,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland was quoted by the Miami Herald as saying. “We will use the full reach of our law enforcement authorities to hold accountable anyone responsible for undermining the safety of Americans around the world.”
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray said the indictment against Yonyon “demonstrates that the United States will not tolerate crimes against its citizens, at home or abroad. Wray also said the agency “will continue to work aggressively with our international partners to ensure the safety of U.S. citizens and bring perpetrators to justice.