Johnson “Izo” Andre: Hostage-Taking of U.S. Citizen

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Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information on Johnson “Izo” Andre, leader of the Haiti-based 5 Segond criminal organization, for his role in the hostage-taking of a U.S. citizen in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Under general orders from Andre to identify victims and take them hostage for ransom, armed gang members seized the U.S. citizen at gunpoint on March 18, 2023, and transported him to Village de Dieu, a town on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. On March 27, 2023, the gang released the victim after receiving a ransom, the victim’s vehicle, and firearms belonging to the victim’s father. Andre remains at large and is believed to reside in Village de Dieu. RFJ is offering a reward for information leading to the identification, location, arrest, or conviction of Andre.

Andre is wanted by the Haitian National Police for assassination, kidnapping for ransom, illegal possession of firearms, hijacking of freight trucks, and criminal conspiracy. Andre and his gang have been identified by survivors as being directly responsible for 1,035 documented cases of sexual violence in 2022 alone.

On December 8, 2023, Andre was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury for his role in serious human rights abuse as a leader of a criminal gang in Haiti pursuant to Executive Order 13818. The sanction generally prohibits all transactions by U.S. persons or those within or transiting the United States that involve any property or interests in property of Andre.

In December 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) and the FBI filed a criminal complaint against Andre on charges of hostage-taking and conspiracy to commit hostage-taking.