5 Segond/Unité Village de Dieu (UVD) Organization

This report is produced by Halo Solutions Firm S.A. as part of our commitment to raising awareness of the security threats posed by this criminal organizations. The information compiled in this document is derived from open-source intelligence (OSINT) and publicly available data, providing an analytical overview of the structure, operations, and impact of the 5 Segond/ Unité Village de Dieu (UVD) Organization. The 5 Segond/Unité Village de Dieu (UVD) Organization is just one of many criminal entities currently operating in Haiti, employing tactics traditionally associated with terrorist organizations and transnational cartels. This group, like others, engages in widespread violence, extortion, kidnappings, and intimidation, significantly undermining national security and public safety. Their methods, including armed insurgency-style attacks, territorial control, and targeted assassinations, mirror the operational frameworks of terrorist organizations and organized crime syndicates across the world. The continued expansion of such groups represents a severe threat not only to Haiti but also to regional stability in the Caribbean and beyond.

The Trump administration could designate the 5 Segond gang, also known as Unité Village de Dieu (UVD), as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) due to its transnational criminal operations, direct threats to U.S. national security, and acts of extreme violence that mirror those of terrorist groups worldwide. Under the leadership of Johnson "Izo" André, the gang has evolved beyond a local criminal enterprise into a paramilitary organization engaged in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, piracy, targeted assassinations, and mass displacement of civilians—all of which have contributed to Haiti’s rapid decline into lawlessness. The gang’s collaboration with international drug cartels, its role in fueling the U.S. migration crisis, and its attacks on American citizens and commercial interests meet the U.S. legal criteria for terrorism. Current sanctions have failed to weaken the gang’s power, proving that only an FTO designation, which would enable U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies to impose harsher penalties, block financial networks, and target facilitators, can effectively disrupt its operations. Just as the Trump administration previously advocated for the designation of Mexican cartels as FTOs, it is imperative that the 5 Segond/UVD gang receives the same classification to safeguard U.S. national security, protect regional stability, and prevent Haiti from becoming an uncontested narcoterrorist state.

Background and Leadership

Johnson André, better known as "Izo" is the leader of the notorious "5 Segond/UVD” organization, one of the most powerful criminal organizations in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Born in 1997, Izo has gained a fearsome reputation due to his gang’s involvement in violent crimes, including murder, rape, armed robbery, drug trafficking, and kidnapping for ransom. Under his command, the 5 Segond gang has expanded its territorial control, disrupted key transportation routes, and played a significant role in Haiti’s escalating security crisis. Their dominance has turned entire neighborhoods into lawless enclaves where criminal enterprises flourish, further destabilizing an already fragile state.

The gang’s name, "5 Segond," reportedly originates from the belief that its members can execute a murder or kidnapping within five seconds, a reflection of their swift, brutal methods and the fear they instill in both civilians and law enforcement. Their tactical efficiency and unpredictability have made them a formidable force, carrying out ambushes and attacks at speeds that overwhelm the Haitian National Police (PNH), making effective countermeasures extremely difficult.

Operating out of Village de Dieu, the gang has transformed this densely populated area near Port-au-Prince’s southern entrance into an impenetrable stronghold. Known for its extreme violence and lawlessness, Village de Dieu is heavily fortified with barricades, ambush points, and strategically placed traps, making police operations in the area particularly dangerous. Despite multiple attempts by the PNH, sometimes with international support, to dismantle the gang’s influence, the 5 Segond gang continues to reinforce its grip through alliances with other criminal networks across the capital. Given its strategic location, Village de Dieu remains a crucial battleground for any future security operations aimed at restoring order in Haiti. However, without sustained law enforcement pressure and substantial state intervention, it remains a stark symbol of the country’s broader struggles with insecurity, governance failures, and the unchecked power of armed groups.

Emanuel Salomon, also known as "Manno," is a prominent figure within Haiti's criminal landscape, serving as the second-in-command of the 5 Segond/UVD gang. In January 2021, Salomon and his associates allegedly kidnapped a U.S. citizen at gunpoint, holding the victim captive for 11 days. During this period, the victim was reportedly subjected to physical abuse and threats, ultimately being released only after a ransom was paid. In November 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed criminal charges against Salomon, accusing him of conspiracy to commit hostage-taking and hostagetaking. The FBI has issued a wanted notice for Salomon, highlighting his potential connections to the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Meanwhile, Johnson André, also known as "Izo," the leader of the 5 Segond gang, has been sanctioned by the U.S. government under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act but has never been criminally charged by the U.S. government.

Criminal Activities and Influence

The 5 Segond gang has been involved in high-profile attacks on public institutions, such as the ransacking of the Court of First Instance in 2022, which remains under their control. They have also engaged in piracy, hijacking freight trucks, and obstructing humanitarian aid deliveries. Their strategic use of National Roads 1 and 2, along with maritime routes, has severely impacted the movement of goods and people, exacerbating economic and humanitarian conditions in Haiti. Additionally, the 5 Segond gang is responsible for the kidnapping of more American citizens than all other gangs combined. The gang has also fortified Village de Dieu, creating a heavily defended stronghold with tactical firing positions, booby traps, and checkpoints. They use radios and drones for surveillance, further enhancing their control over the area. The gang has also fortified the wharf areas around Village de Dieu, making it difficult for law enforcement or rival gangs to penetrate their territory. The incidents reported are only a very small snapshot of the atrocities committed by the 5 Segond gang.

Attack on Haitian National Police in Village de Dieu

In March 2021, the 5 Segond gang ambushed the Haitian National Police (HNP) in Village de Dieu, leading to one of the most brutal attacks on law enforcement in Haiti’s history. The gang used trenches, barricades, and booby traps to disable HNP armored vehicles, forcing officers out of their vehicles. Once trapped, gang members executed five officers and mutilated their bodies, recording the aftermath and broadcasting it on social media to spread fear. This attack demonstrated the gang’s tactical capabilities and its willingness to use extreme brutality to assert control over its territory.

The Evolution of the Unité Village de Dieu (UVD)

Under Izo’s leadership, the 5 Segond gang has evolved into a more structured and militarized entity, known as the Unité Village de Dieu (UVD). Intelligence reports indicate that Dimitri Hérard, the former head of the General Security Unit of the National Palace (USGPN), played a crucial role in advising and restructuring the group. Hérard, who escaped from the National Penitentiary in March 2024, is believed to have provided tactical training, weapons, and uniforms to the gang, helping them establish a paramilitary-style structure. The UVD now operates with a military-like hierarchy, employing uniforms, tactical vests, helmets, and hoods to create an appearance of discipline and authority. Their use of drones for reconnaissance, encrypted communications, and strategic checkpoints has enhanced their ability to control territory, ambush security forces, and coordinate large-scale attacks. The gang’s fortifications in Village de Dieu include trenches, reinforced barricades, and booby-trapped entry points, making it nearly impenetrable to standard police operations. The group has also constructed a fortified wharf, allowing them to control maritime routes, smuggle contraband, and launch naval assaults on rival gangs and law enforcement.

Deadly Retaliation: 5 Segond and Canaan Gangs Launch Attack on Cabaret

On November 28–29, 2022, the 5 Segond gang, in collaboration with the Canaan gang, launched a violent assault on the town of Cabaret, a suburb of Port-au-Prince. The attack resulted in over 20 fatalities and the widespread destruction of homes, leaving many residents displaced. Reports indicated that this brutal offensive was carried out in retaliation against local efforts to expel gang members from the area. The gangs, facing increasing resistance from the community, responded with overwhelming force, demonstrating their unwillingness to relinquish control.

Armed Assault Shuts Down Toussaint Louverture International Airport

On March 4, 2024, members of the 5 Segond/UVD gang launched a violent attack on Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, engaging in an intense firefight with police and Haitian Armed Forces (FAd’H) personnel. The assault forced the temporary closure of the airport, disrupting air traffic and heightening security concerns in an already unstable environment. Reports identified Johnson André aka Izo, the gang’s notorious leader, as a key figure behind the operation. The attack demonstrated the gang’s increasing boldness and militarystyle tactics, further challenging the ability of Haitian authorities to secure critical infrastructure. This incident underscored their ability to directly threaten national security with large-scale coordinated assaults.

UVD’s Strategic Attack on Cabaret Police Station Highlights Expanding Gang Reach

On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, members of the Unité Village de Dieu (UVD), part of the powerful Viv Ansanm criminal coalition, launched a coordinated attack on the Cabaret police station, located approximately 40 kilometers north of their home base in Village de Dieu. This operation demonstrated the gang's ability to conduct organized assaults well beyond its stronghold in Port-au-Prince, highlighting its logistical capabilities and territorial reach. Transporting personnel and equipment over such a distance required careful planning, secure supply lines, and a level of operational coordination that underscores the growing influence of these criminal organizations. Videos shared on social media showed UVD members, clad in uniforms bearing their insignia, systematically demolishing the police station with hammers. The ease with which UVD was able to execute this attack illustrates its capacity to strike multiple areas across Haiti, extending beyond traditional gang territories. The attack on Cabaret is not just an isolated act of destruction—it is a clear signal that UVG can project power across the country reinforcing their dominance in both urban and rural regions.

Maritime Piracy and Attacks on Shipping Vessels

The 5 Segond gang has demonstrated increasing maritime capabilities, using water routes to smuggle drugs, weapons, and conduct piracy operations. In April 2024, the gang hijacked the Panamaflagged MSC Magalie at the Varreux fuel terminal in Port-au-Prince, taking crew members hostage and stealing valuable cargo. This attack disrupted maritime security and raised concerns about the gang's ability to threaten international shipping. Additionally, in October 2022, the gang launched an attack on Port Lafito, attempting to seize control of the facility's power plant and surrounding infrastructure. Although security forces managed to repel the assault, the gang successfully raided the Molinas d'Haiti grain and flour depot, which is adjacent to the port. Intelligence reports suggest that 5 Segond/UVD was planning to establish control over critical maritime routes, allowing them to control smuggling operations between Haiti and other Caribbean nations. Gangcontrolled vehicles and vessels have also been used to intercept shipments of high-value merchandise along National Route 1 and in the Caribbean coastal waters. On September 10, 2024, the Crowley vessel MV Progreso was attacked while anchored in the Bay of Port-au-Prince by members of the 5 Segond/UVD gang. During the assault, two crew members were kidnapped, marking a significant escalation in maritime security threats. This attack underscored the gang’s growing operational reach beyond landbased attacks, demonstrating their ability to target commercial vessels even while at anchor

In the following weeks, the security situation deteriorated further. On September 26, 2024, Caribbean Port Services, the primary port operator, shut down road access to the terminal in Port-au-Prince, suspending operations until September 29 to allow security forces to regain control of the area. The closure came in response to intensified gang activity that saw armed members of the 5 Segond/UVD gang engaging in direct attacks on vessels attempting to dock, firing upon dockworkers, and looting containers. Reports confirmed that a crane operator sustained gunshot wounds while initiating offloading operations. The escalating violence forced shipping companies to divert vessels to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, yet even overland transport remained dangerous, as gangs targeted trucks entering or exiting the port, demanding payments for safe passage.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has strategically deployed vessels in the Bay of Port-au-Prince to enhance maritime security and deter gang activities. Previously, at the request of the Haitian government, the USCGC Northland (WMEC 904) was redirected to patrol near Port-au-Prince as a demonstration of U.S. support for Haiti’s security and stability efforts. This deployment also aimed to strengthen collaboration with the Haitian Coast Guard by providing training and maintaining a visible maritime presence to discourage criminal activities. These events, culminating in the closure of Haiti’s primary seaport, underscored the growing influence of the 5 Segond/UVD gang and its ability to destabilize both land and maritime operations.

While the presence of USCG vessels has temporarily disrupted the 5 Segond/UVD gang, its members adapted by avoiding direct confrontations at sea and instead waiting for the vessel to leave before resuming their criminal and terrorist activities. The gang’s ability to strategically pause operations underscores both their resilience and the limitations of shortterm maritime enforcement

Devastating Gang Assault on Source Matelas Leaves Hundreds Dead and Thousands Displaced

In Source Matelas, a neighborhood in the southern Cabaret suburb of Aubry, just nine miles north of the 5 Segond-controlled Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Canaan, the gang launched a brutal assault on Port Lafiteau, a strategic area they had previously occupied between October 2 and November 17, 2022. Beginning on April 19, 2023, and continuing throughout the week, the attacks resulted in a death toll of 150 to 200 people, with at least 50 others critically injured. The relentless violence forced over 4,000 residents to flee their homes, leaving behind a devastated community in the grip of chaos. The 5 Segond gang's aggressive push into Source Matelas further demonstrated their expanding territorial ambitions and their ability to wage large-scale, coordinated offensives, exacerbating Haiti’s ongoing humanitarian and security crisis.

From YouTube Fame to Digital Terrorism

Johnson André, widely known as Izo Vilaj de Dye, is a rapper who has used music and social media to promote his influence. Leading the Baz 5 Segond/UVD gang leveraged his YouTube channel to amass a large following.

His content, often laced with violent themes and anti-government rhetoric, earned him a YouTube Silver Play Button after surpassing 100,000 subscribers. However, in April 2023, YouTube banned his channel following public outcry over his glorification of crime and its impact on young Haitians. Despite this, Izo quickly migrated to other platforms such as Telegram, Instagram, and TikTok, continuing to spread his message and solidify his influence over disenfranchised youth in Haiti and the broader Caribbean region.

The persistence of Izo's and the Baz 5 Segond/UVD gang digital presence despite his YouTube ban highlights the broader issue of how online platforms inadvertently amplify criminal networks. His music and online persona glorify violence, portraying his gang, Baz 5 Segond/UVD, as an unstoppable force, which has fueled the gang's recruitment and expanded its control. The normalization of violent rhetoric in his lyrics, paired with his gang’s realworld brutality, makes a compelling argument to classify Baz 5 Segond/UVD as a terrorist organization. Their activities—including mass kidnappings, attacks on police, and targeting civilians—mirror the tactics of organized terror groups. Their continued presence on social media raises ethical concerns about how tech companies handle figures who incite violence, and whether they bear responsibility for enabling the spread of criminal propaganda that destabilizes entire communities.

Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War

The 5 Segond gang has weaponized sexual violence, using it as a tool for domination, control, and terror. According to reports, gang members systematically use rape to instill fear, punish dissenters, and enforce loyalty within their territories. The Médecins du Monde Switzerland clinic in Fontamara near Martissant has documented horrific accounts of gangrelated sexual violence, noting that 99% of the victims were women, and 17% were raped at gunpoint. Survivors have described how gang members often tell them: “Now that we have raped you, you belong to us.” Many victims have been subjected to repeated sexual assaults, forced servitude, and public humiliation. Women and girls are often taken as “spoils of war,” used as currency to reward gang members and punish communities that resist their rule. Reports indicate that the gang frequently abducts women and young girls, holding them captive for weeks or months. Some are later released after their families pay ransoms, while others are never seen again. The use of sexual violence extends beyond individual acts of brutality, it is part of a broader strategy to break communities, instill fear, and maintain gang dominance.

Attack on Haitian National Police Patrol

In April 2023, the 5 Segond gang carried out a deadly IED attack on a Haitian National Police (HNP) patrol in Port-au-Prince. The gang strategically placed an improvised explosive device along a frequently used police route and detonated it as the patrol unit passed through. The explosion severely damaged the lead police vehicle, killing two officers instantly and injuring four others. Following the blast, gang members ambushed the remaining officers with gunfire, forcing the survivors to retreat. The attack demonstrated an increasing level of sophistication in the gang's tactics, showcasing their ability to deploy and detonate explosives in urban warfare scenarios. Intelligence sources indicate that the gang has been experimenting with IEDs and has received external guidance in crafting these explosive devices. The attack has raised alarms within the HNP, as it marks a significant escalation in the gang's operational capabilities and its willingness to target law enforcement personnel with advanced methods of attack.

Attack on UN Helicopter

In late October 2024, a UN helicopter carrying three crew members and fifteen passengers, was struck by gunfire while approaching Port-au-Prince. Intelligence confirmed that Izo personally ordered the attack by members of the 5 Segond/UVD believing the helicopter was part of an intelligence mission or a potential strike against his stronghold in Village de Dieu. The gunfire struck the helicopter’s main rotor blade and damaged a hydraulic system, forcing the pilots to return to the airport.

Displaced Persons and the Impact on U.S. Migration

The violent expansion of the 5 Segond gang/UVD has directly contributed to the displacement of thousands of Haitian civilians, triggering an ongoing humanitarian crisis and fueling illegal migration to the United States.

As the gang continues to consolidate its control over key areas of Port-auPrince and beyond, entire communities have been forced to flee their homes due to extreme violence, targeted killings, and sexual violence. Many families have been uprooted multiple times as gang warfare spreads, leaving them with no choice but to seek refuge either in safer regions of Haiti or in neighboring countries, including the Dominican Republic and the United States.

Haiti is currently facing one of the worst displacement crises in its history, with tens of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living in makeshift camps or abandoned buildings under dire conditions. The lack of security, access to basic services, and economic opportunities has pushed many Haitians to risk dangerous sea voyages or overland routes through South and Central America in an attempt to reach the U.S. border. The 5 Segond gang has been a key driver in this migration trend, as their control over strategic roadways, ports, and entire neighborhoods has rendered vast areas uninhabitable for law-abiding citizens. The gang’s operations have also exacerbated food shortages by hijacking shipments and restricting access to essential goods, further worsening living conditions and forcing more people to flee.

Drug Trade Powerhouse

The 5 Segond gang/UVD has become one of the most dominant criminal organizations in Haiti, deeply entrenched in the country's growing drug trade. The gang plays a pivotal role in smuggling narcotics, using Haiti as a strategic transit hub for cocaine shipments bound for the United States.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the 5 Segond gang controls key trafficking routes along Haiti’s southern coastline, where narcotics and firearms enter the country unchecked. A significant component of this trade is the “guns for ganja” exchange with Jamaica, in which the gang provides firearms in return for marijuana. In addition, cocaine shipments from Colombia and Venezuela are funneled through Haiti with the gang’s assistance, leveraging smuggling networks in the Dominican Republic to move drugs further into the Caribbean and North America.

The weakening of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) operations in Haiti, particularly after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021, has emboldened the gang’s activities. Without a strong U.S. counternarcotics presence, the organization and its criminal allies have expanded their influence, strengthening their ties with Mexican and South American drug cartels.

Beyond drug trafficking, the gang enforces its dominance through violence, kidnappings, and attacks on law enforcement, ensuring control over strategic areas. Corruption within Haitian law enforcement and political circles further facilitates its operations, allowing illicit shipments to pass through ports and border crossings unchallenged.

Firepower of the 5 Segond/UVD Gang

The 5 Segond/UVD gang has significantly expanded its arsenal, posing an increasing threat to security forces and civilians in Haiti. While weapons have historically been stolen from the Haitian Army and police or smuggled from the United States, recent sightings of FN FAL rifles in the hands of the gang suggest a more complex supply chain. These firearms appear to be a newer model than those previously acquired by the Haitian military in the 1980s, raising concerns about their origin.

Intelligence sources indicate that some of these weapons may be linked to Colombia, where military stockpiles have been looted, with arms and ammunition subsequently sold to cartels and trafficked through international black markets, including to Haitian gangs.

The rise of heavily armed gangs like 5 Segond/UVD can be traced back to decades of political manipulation, where armed groups were initially used to suppress opposition movements, intimidate voters, or secure land for business interests. However, these gangs have since evolved into independent and well-organized criminal enterprises, exerting significant control over territory, commerce, and security in Haiti. The escalating sophistication of their weapons underscores the urgency of addressing the growing instability and the expanding influence of transnational arms trafficking networks.

The Ineffectiveness of Sanctions Against Johnson "Izo" André and the 5 Segond Gang

As of 2023 and 2024, Johnson André, also known as "Izo," the leader of Haiti’s 5 Segond/UVD gang, has been sanctioned by multiple international entities. The United Nations Security Council's 2653 Sanctions Committee, the United States Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (GLOMAG), the United Kingdom, and Canada have all imposed asset freezes and travel bans against him. These sanctions aim to disrupt his financial networks, restrict his movements, and weaken his gang's operational capabilities. However, despite these coordinated international efforts, Izo and the 5 Segond gang continue to expand their criminal empire, demonstrating that the current sanctions have had little to no impact on their power and influence.

The failure of these sanctions to weaken Izo’s grip on Haiti underscores the ineffectiveness of financial penalties alone in combating heavily armed and deeply entrenched criminal organizations. The 5 Segond/UVD gang continues to control strategic drug trafficking routes, engage in mass kidnappings, extort businesses, hijack vessels, and launch direct attacks on law enforcement and international peacekeeping forces. Haiti’s law enforcement remains outmatched, and the gang's territorial control, paramilitary structure, and financial networks remain intact, allowing them to evade the intended consequences of international sanctions.

The lack of enforcement mechanisms and the absence of a multinational security strategy to physically dismantle the gang means that Izo continues to operate with impunity, openly issuing threats, orchestrating attacks, and expanding his criminal empire. Without an official Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation, which would allow U.S. agencies to take more aggressive counter-terrorism measures, these sanctions remain symbolic rather than effective. Izo and the 5 Segond gang have adapted, strengthened their international criminal ties, and continue to function as Haiti’s most dominant and destabilizing force, proving that financial restrictions alone are insufficient to break their hold on the country.

Argument for Designating the 5 Segond/UVD Gang as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)

The Trump administration’s recent decision to designate Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) acknowledges the direct threat transnational criminal groups pose to U.S. national security, law enforcement, and regional stability. Given this precedent, the 5 Segond/UVD gang, Haiti’s most powerful and sophisticated criminal organization, should likewise be designated an FTO, as its actions meet the criteria of terrorism under U.S. law and its activities have direct consequences for the United States, the Western Hemisphere, and international security.

Comparative Threat to Mexican Cartels

Much like Mexican cartels, 5 Segond/UVD functions as a paramilitary organization, operating with a structured hierarchy, advanced weaponry, and control over key transportation routes that facilitate drug smuggling, human trafficking, and organized crime. The gang has proven its ability to destabilize an entire nation, exerting government-like control over multiple regions, extorting businesses, and violently suppressing resistance through massacres, kidnappings, and sexual violence as a weapon of war. Similar to cartel-controlled areas in Mexico, 5 Segond/UVD has cut off entire communities, displaced thousands, and terrorized the Haitian population with mass killings, torture, and targeted assassinations.

Additionally, both the 5 Segond/UVD and Mexican cartels rely on international arms trafficking to acquire high-powered weapons, making them heavily militarized threats that outgun local security forces. Intelligence indicates that 5 Segond/UVD sources weapons from South and Central American militaries, much like Mexican cartels, further demonstrating their ability to acquire advanced firepower through global black markets.

Direct Threat to U.S. National Security & Migration Crisis

The 5 Segond/UVD gang is a key driver of the Haitian migration crisis, which has directly impacted the U.S. southern border and coastal security. Their violent territorial expansion, forced displacement of civilians, and economic destabilization have caused thousands of Haitians to flee, with many attempting dangerous sea voyages to Florida or entering through the Mexico-U.S. border, a growing concern for U.S. immigration authorities. This migration pattern mirrors the Mexican cartel-driven displacement of Central American migrants, further highlighting the gang’s regional security impact and why it must be classified as an FTO. Furthermore, the 5 Segond/UVD gang has directly attacked U.S. and international interests, including:

• The kidnapping of American citizens, making them the most active gang in Haiti for targeting U.S. nationals.

• The hijacking of commercial vessels, including the September 10, 2024, attack on the Crowley vessel MV Progreso, where two crew members were kidnapped, an act of piracy that threatened maritime security.

• The March 4, 2024, attack on Toussaint Louverture International Airport, shutting down Haiti’s main aviation hub and posing a serious threat to international air travel.

• The October 2024 attack on a UN helicopter, ordered by Johnson André (Izo) himself, showing a willingness to attack international peacekeeping forces.

These incidents reflect direct and intentional attacks on U.S. and international infrastructure, which should be classified as terrorist actions, much like cartel-led ambushes on Mexican security forces and civilian targets.

Terrorist Nature of Their Operations

The 5 Segond/UVD gang has evolved beyond a traditional criminal organization and now operates as a terrorist entity. Under Izo’s leadership, the gang has established a paramilitary structure (Unité Village de Dieu - UVD), fortified compounds, and an intelligence network using drones and encrypted communications, making them as dangerous as Middle Eastern terrorist groups. Like terrorist organizations, 5 Segond/UVD:

• Uses extreme violence to instill fear, torture, mass executions, and sexual violence as a weapon of war.

• Controls critical infrastructure, seizing Haiti’s ports, highways, and urban centers to dictate commerce and governance.

• Engages in political subversion, attacking government institutions, including burning police stations, storming courts, and targeting law enforcement.

• Disrupts international trade and commerce, blocking essential ports, attacking vessels, and forcing major corporations to reroute shipments.

• Maintains international ties to transnational crime, collaborating with cartels and arms traffickers in Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico, proving its ability to move weapons and drugs across borders.

• The gang is not only one of the most violent criminal organizations in Haiti but also a key driver of the drug trade, migration crisis, and direct threats to U.S. national security. Their operations mirror the expansion of transnational cartels, using extreme violence, territorial control, and strategic partnerships with international drug traffickers to destabilize Haiti and fuel illicit markets across the Western Hemisphere.

Conclusion

The 5 Segond/UVD gang meets all the necessary criteria for an FTO designation, as its actions constitute acts of terrorism that threaten U.S. national security, disrupt regional stability, and harm American citizens and businesses. Just as the Trump administration’s recognized the cartels' expanded influence and brutality as a justification for their FTO designation, Haiti’s most dominant, militarized, and transnational criminal gang must be treated with the same level of urgency. An FTO designation would empower U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies to impose sanctions, block financial transactions, freeze assets, and criminalize any material support to the gang, much like efforts targeting Mexican cartels. The 5 Segond/UVD gang has already demonstrated the ability to destabilize Haiti, threaten U.S. interests, and expand its operations across international borders. Failing to designate them as a Foreign Terrorist Organization will only allow their power and influence to grow unchecked, further exacerbating Haiti’s crisis and its impact on the United States.

Disclaimer

Halo Solutions Firm S.A. does not claim responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information contained in this report, as it is based on publicly available sources. This document is intended strictly for informational and awareness purposes. It does not constitute legal, intelligence, or law enforcement advisement, nor does it imply direct affiliation with any government agency. Halo Solutions Firm S.A. is not responsible for the use or misuse of this report and strongly encourages independent verification of all data before taking any action.