Authorities recently reported that US prosecutors have accused a prominent Haitian gang boss of ordering the death of the woman who was abducted from her house by her captors in Haiti.
Additionally, Vitel’Homme Innocent was accused last year in connection with the kidnappings of Christian missionaries in 2021. He is still at large and is thought to be residing in Tabarre, Haiti.
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In Haiti, where gangs outgun the government and have access to more advanced weaponry than law enforcement, the accusations are mostly seen as symbolic.
In order to continue operating with impunity, gang leaders have previously dismissed criminal accusations brought by US federal authorities as well as sanctions imposed by the UN.
Armed gang members broke into the residences of Jean and Marie Odette Franklin in October 2022, abducted them both, and killed Marie Franklin in the process.
According to officials, her husband, Jean, was detained for 21 days before being freed when his family paid the gang a ransom.
Innocent has no US counsel named for him in court filings, and he was unable to be reached for comment on the accusations in any other way.
A $1 million reward is being offered by US officials for information that results in the apprehension of Innocent, the leader of the notorious Kraze Barye gang in Port-au-Prince.
US Attorney for the District of Columbia Matthew Graves stated, “Vitel’Homme has wreaked particular havoc on US citizens abroad and the people of Haiti by consistently targeting innocent civilians for kidnappings and collaborating with other gangs within Haiti.”
He made no mention of how Innocent may be transported to the US, where, if found guilty, he might be executed.
The FBI’s Miami field office chief agent, Jeffrey Veltri, stated that neither “time nor distance will weaken our resolve.” He made no mention of how Innocent may be transported to the US, where, if found guilty, he might be executed.
The FBI’s Miami field office chief agent, Jeffrey Veltri, stated that neither “time nor distance will weaken our resolve.”
