Washington designates two of Haiti’s largest criminal groups as terrorist organizations | Breaking News

PORT-AU-PRINCE — The United States has officially designated Haiti’s armed groups Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm as transnational terrorist organizations, according to a statement released on May 2, 2025, by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Gran Grif, also known as Baz Gran Grif or Gran Grif de Savien, operates in the commune of Savien in Haiti’s Artibonite department. Founded in 2016, the group is now subject to Executive Order 13224, as amended by Executive Order 13886, which authorizes sanctions against entities supporting terrorism.

Viv Ansanm, formed in September 2023 through the merger of several armed factions including G9 an Fanmi e Alye  and  G-Pèp, is primarily active in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince. Like Gran Grif, the coalition is now designated as a transnational terrorist organization.

Under these sanctions, the groups’ assets under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen, and any financial transactions with them are prohibited. The U.S. also warned that any foreign entity providing material support to these organizations risks facing secondary sanctions.

OFAC specifies that these groups pose a “risk of secondary sanctions” under Executive Order 13224.

Before the U.S. decision in May 2025, the Dominican Republic had already labeled Haitian gangs as “terrorist organizations” in February 2025. This designation allowed for the prosecution of gang members crossing the border under Dominican anti-terrorism laws, carrying severe penalties. 

President Luis Abinader criticized international inaction in the face of the deteriorating security situation in Haiti, further reinforcing his security policies, including mass expulsions and the construction of a border wall.

The designation comes as gangs in the West and Artibonite escalate their violence

This decision comes amid escalating violence in Haiti, where armed groups continue to expand their territorial control. According to a report released on April 30, at least 1,617 people were killed and 580 injured between January and March 2025 in incidents involving gangs, vigilante groups, or security forces.

Violence has spread across multiple regions, notably the capital and the Centre and Artibonite departments. In Delmas and Kenscoff, attacks aimed to isolate Pétion-Ville, while in the Centre, areas such as Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau were targeted to seize control of strategic routes leading to the Dominican Republic. Mirebalais was also the site of a massive prison break involving more than 500 inmates.

Women and children remain among the most vulnerable. The first quarter of 2025 saw over 330 cases of sexual violence, the majority committed by gang members. Children were also killed, injured, or forcibly recruited into armed groups.

The designation of the Gran Grif gang as a transnational terrorist organization by the United States comes as the group escalates its attacks in the Artibonite, spreading terror in the town of Petite-Rivière. On April 30, residents once again fled their homes after a deadly assault launched at dawn by men from Savien.

Videos posted online show desperate families crossing the Artibonite River, carrying their children and few belongings, while homes continued to burn. This attack occurred just two days after another raid by the gang that left two dead and several injured.

“National and international security forces are watching without acting, while the local communities are at their breaking point,” testified André Saint-Louis, a farmer and coordinator of a local peace committee. “We need real intervention, not just promises.”

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