Prosecutors in the United States have charged powerful gang leader Johnson Andre, known as Izo, with taking a U.S. citizen hostage in Haiti, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington released on Tuesday.
Izo is the suspected leader of the 5 Second gang, which according to the unsealed criminal complaint participates in kidnappings for ransom and robberies while using the proceeds to pay for weapons and members' salaries.
U.S. prosecutors say that on March 18, 2023, suspected armed gang members forced a U.S. citizen into a vehicle, then moved the person to Village de Dieu, outside the capital.
The complaint claims that the kidnapped individual was held for nine days, beaten and burned with hot plastic, and that Andre personally negotiated a ransom with the person's family.
The U.S. citizen was released after an undisclosed ransom was paid, according to the statement.
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