The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned a former Haitian police officer linked to the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and a notorious gang leader, both accused of fueling Haiti’s spiraling violence through support of a terrorist gang coalition.
Dimitri Herard, who escaped prison in 2024 after being imprisoned for his alleged role in Moïse’s 2021 assassination, and Kempes Sanon, leader of the Bel Air gang, were designated by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for providing support to Viv Ansanm, a coalition of Haitian gangs recently designated as a terrorist organization.
“Today’s action underscores the critical role of gang leaders and facilitators like Herard and Sanon, whose support enables Viv Ansanm’s campaign of violence, extortion, and terrorism in Haiti,” said Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control Bradley T. Smith in a statement.
From Police Officer to Gang Facilitator
Herard’s trajectory from law enforcement to criminal enabler represents a troubling pattern in Haiti’s security collapse. After breaking out of prison, the former officer reportedly provided training and support to Viv Ansanm leaders, helping orchestrate attacks on state institutions that have further destabilized the Caribbean nation.
Sanon, meanwhile, has built a reputation for brutality. As head of the Bel Air gang, he’s accused of orchestrating indiscriminate killings of civilians, running extortion rackets, imposing illegal “taxes” on local populations, and coordinating kidnappings that have terrorized communities.
Why target these individuals now? The sanctions come as part of a broader U.S. strategy to combat the growing power of Viv Ansanm, a coalition formed in September 2023 through an alliance between Haiti’s two main gang factions. The group was officially labeled a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization by the State Department earlier this month, on May 2, 2025.
Escalating Violence
The sanctions follow a series of increasingly brutal attacks by Viv Ansanm, including a September 11 massacre in Labodrie, Cabaret, where over 40 people—including children and the elderly—were killed. Such atrocities have drawn international condemnation and increased pressure for action.
Under the sanctions, all property and interests belonging to Herard and Sanon within U.S. jurisdiction are blocked. Any entities owned 50% or more by these individuals are similarly affected. U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealing with them, and violations could result in civil or criminal penalties.
The impact extends beyond American borders. Foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions for these designated persons risk secondary sanctions that could restrict their access to the U.S. financial system—a potentially devastating blow for any bank operating globally.
Beyond Punishment
What’s the endgame here? Treasury officials emphasize that sanctions aren’t merely punitive. “The goal is behavioral change,” one official explained on background. The sanctions program includes an established process for individuals to petition for removal from the list if they cease their support for terrorist activities.
That said, experts remain divided on whether such designations will actually curb Haiti’s violence or potentially deepen the humanitarian tragedy by complicating aid delivery to gang-controlled areas. Some humanitarian organizations have expressed concern that the terrorist designation could make their work more difficult in a country where gang control is widespread.
For ordinary Haitians caught between predatory gangs, corrupt officials, and a virtually collapsed state, the sanctions represent a glimmer of international attention to their plight—but whether they’ll bring meaningful relief remains to be seen.
As one Port-au-Prince resident told reporters last week: “We hear about sanctions and designations, but the gunfire doesn’t stop. We need peace, not paperwork.”
