Uncle Sam just dropped a bombshell on a notorious Haitian gang leader with a nickname straight out of a barbecue joint. Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, a man with a rap sheet longer than a CVS receipt, has been indicted by the U.S. for funneling American dollars to fuel his violent gang activities in Haiti.
The New York Post reported that on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro unveiled charges in Washington, D.C., against Chérizier and a naturalized U.S. citizen, Bazile Richardson, for conspiring to violate sanctions and fund a gang responsible for chaos in Haiti.
Let’s rewind to 2020, when the U.S. first slapped sanctions on Chérizier under the Magnitsky Act for alleged human rights violations.
Chérizier is a former Haitian National Police officer turned leader of the Revolutionary Forces of the G9 Family and Allies, a gang that helped forge Viv Ansanm, an alliance opposing Haiti’s legitimate government. If that’s not a resume for trouble, what is?
Fast forward to May 2025, when the Trump administration designated Viv Ansanm and another gang network, Gran Grif, as foreign terrorist organizations.
This move wasn’t just symbolic—it aimed to choke off their operations and restore some semblance of order in Haiti. Legal consequences for supporting these groups? Think criminal charges or even deportation.
Enter Bazile Richardson, aka “Fredo” or “Leo Danger,” a childhood pal of Chérizier’s who later became a U.S. citizen living in North Carolina. Arrested on July 23, 2025, in Pasadena, Texas, Richardson is accused of knowingly sending money to Chérizier despite the sanctions. Talk about loyalty to the wrong cause.
According to the indictment, these two orchestrated a scheme with others in the U.S. and Haiti to raise funds for Chérizier’s gang. They even solicited cash from the Haitian diaspora here in America. It’s a stark reminder that dangerous networks often stretch far beyond borders.
The operation was brazen—funds were wired to intermediaries in Haiti for Chérizier’s benefit, with images of transfer receipts sent back as proof.
“After sending funds to intermediaries in Haiti for Chérizier’s benefit, the U.S. and Haitian co-conspirators would send Chérizier images of receipts from money transfers,” the Department of Justice noted. If that’s not a paper trail begging to be busted, what is?
Those dollars weren’t used for charity, either. Chérizier allegedly paid gang members’ salaries and bought firearms from shady dealers in Haiti. This isn’t just a local problem; it’s a direct challenge to U.S. efforts to curb violence abroad.
Jeanine Pirro didn’t mince words on August 12, 2025, when announcing a $5 million reward for info leading to Chérizier’s capture. “There’s a good reason that there’s a $5 million reward for information leading to Chérizier’s arrest,” she said. And with him still a fugitive, believed to be hiding in Haiti, that bounty is a loud call to action.
Pirro also highlighted the brutality behind the nickname. “The U.S. government sanctioned Chérizier in 2020 because he was responsible for an ongoing campaign of violence, including the 2018 La Saline massacre,” she explained. That tragedy saw 71 killed and hundreds of homes destroyed—a grim snapshot of his reign of terror.
Yet, some might argue, didn’t folks sending money deserve a pass if they were unaware of the sanctions? Pirro shut that down fast.
“I want to let the public know that anyone who was giving money to Chérizier... cannot say ‘I didn’t know,’” she declared.
She doubled down with a warning for would-be supporters. “They will be prosecuted, and we will find them because they are supporting an individual who was committing human rights abuses,” Pirro added. It’s a fair point—ignorance of the law isn’t a defense, especially when lives are on the line.
From a conservative lens, this case underscores why strong borders and strict enforcement of sanctions matter. When funds from American soil fuel violence abroad, it’s not just Haiti’s problem—it’s ours. We can’t afford to let progressive softness on crime blur the lines of accountability.
Still, there’s room for empathy toward the Haitian diaspora, many of whom may have been misled or coerced into contributing. The focus should remain on dismantling these criminal networks, not vilifying entire communities. Justice must be precise, not a blunt instrument.