Haitian Gang Demands $17M Ransom for Kidnapped American Missionaries

By Teddy Grant Published: October 19, 2021

Haitian Gang Demands $17M Ransom for Kidnapped American Missionaries

Notorious Haitian gang 400 Mawozo has kidnapped a group of 17 missionaries during a visit to an orphanage. In this Oct. 8, 2019 file photo, entrepreneur and youth leader Pascéus Juvensky St. Fleur, 26, holds up his copy of the Haitian constitution during an interview in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Haiti unveiled multiple proposed changes to overhaul the country’s Constitution that officials began presenting to voters in Feb. 2021 for a referendum that loomed amid growing unrest. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)

In Summary

The 400 Mawozo gang kidnapped 17 missionaries and is reportedly asking $1 million per hostage.

A gang that kidnapped 17 Americans and Canadians in Haiti last week are asking for $17 million for their release, Haitian officials told CNN.

The 400 Mawozo gang is reportedly asking $1 million per hostage, Justice Minister Liszt Quitel told The Wall Street Journal.

The group of missionaries consists of 16 Americans and one Canadian who are a part of Christian Aid Ministries. There are five men, seven women and five kids, according to CNN.

The FBI is assisting Haitian police negotiators with rescuing the missionary group, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.

“The FBI is part of a coordinated US government effort to get the Americans involved to safety. Due to operational considerations, no further information is available at this time,” an FBI spokesperson told CNN.

Haiti has been hit with a handful of crises thus far this year. In July, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated, while in August, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit the country, killing over 2,000 people.