The U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program is offering a reward of up to $3 million and potential relocation for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of Haitian gangs Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, both of which the U.S. government has designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
Formed in September 2023, Viv Ansanm is an alliance of Haiti’s two main gang factions operating in Port-au-Prince, G-9 and G-Pép. Members of Viv Ansanm are responsible for a campaign of violence that has targeted the Haitian government, prisons, police stations, hospitals, and the nation’s main airport. Their actions contributed to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Ariel Henry in April 2024. Viv Ansanm also engages in arms trafficking and forced recruitment, including of children, and generates revenue primarily through extortion and kidnappings for ransom. The gang has been linked to mass murder and collective rape of civilians, including attacks on American citizens in Haiti.
Gran Grif, the largest criminal organization in Haiti’s Artibonite department, was created around 2016 by former legislator Prophane Victor. Initially formed to consolidate control over Petite Rivière and secure Victor’s election, the group evolved into a gang responsible for violent crimes, including attacks on the Haitian National Police and the UN-authorized Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. In February 2025, a Gran Grif attack killed an MSS officer from Kenya. The gang has also been implicated in kidnapping, murder, sexual violence against women and children, forced recruitment of children, looting, extortion, hijacking, and theft of crops and livestock. In 2023, the United Nations documented human rights abuses committed by Gran Grif.
The RFJ program is seeking information that could disrupt the financial and operational mechanisms of these gangs, including:
- Businesses, bank accounts, or investments owned or controlled by Viv Ansanm, Gran Grif, or their financiers
- Financial contributions to these groups from donors or facilitators
- Significant transactions by financial institutions or exchange houses benefiting either gang
- Front companies linked to the gangs or conducting transactions on their behalf
- Kidnap-for-ransom schemes and other criminal operations generating revenue
- Transfers of funds, arms, ammunition, or drones to or by these groups
Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif were designated as FTOs in May 2025 under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under Executive Order 13224. As a result, all property and interests in property of these groups that are in the United States or under the control of U.S. persons are blocked. U.S. citizens are prohibited from providing material support to these organizations, and violations may result in legal or financial penalties.
More information about the reward offer is available on the Rewards for Justice website at www.rewardsforjustice.net. Individuals with information can also contact RFJ confidentially via Signal, WhatsApp, or Telegram at +1‑202‑702‑7843.
Since its inception in 1984, the RFJ program has paid over $250 million to more than 125 people worldwide whose information helped prevent threats to U.S. national security.
