The U.S. government on Wednesday put up a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the arrest of Johnson "Izo" Andre, the alleged leader of the 5 Segond gang that controls parts of Port-au-Prince. Federal officials say Andre is wanted in connection with the March 18, 2023 armed kidnapping of a U.S. citizen who was held for nine days before being released after ransom payments. FBI Miami and other U.S. investigators are publicly asking for leads in a case that federal prosecutors say involved brutal treatment of the hostage.
The reward was announced through the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program and publicized by the U.S. Embassy in Haiti, as reported by Local 10. The program says tips will be treated confidentially and may include relocation assistance for credible informants, and federal investigators have urged anyone with information to come forward. The move puts Andre alongside other fugitive gang leaders who have drawn intense international enforcement attention in recent years.
The charge and the March 2023 abduction
Federal prosecutors in Washington unsealed a criminal complaint charging Andre with ordering the March 18, 2023 kidnapping of a U.S. citizen, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The complaint says the victim was taken to Village de Dieu and was "held in captivity for nine days" and subjected to abuse, and the unsealed filing was previously detailed in Hoodline’s coverage of the 2025 indictment. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and remains under investigation by the FBI’s Miami Field Office.
Sanctions and international reporting
The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Andre in December 2023 for alleged human-rights abuses tied to his leadership of 5 Segond, a move that targets assets and transnational dealings, per the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The United Nations Security Council has also catalogued the gang’s role in mass kidnappings, extortion and attacks on institutions, as outlined by the U.N. Security Council. Those international designations give law enforcement financial and diplomatic levers to disrupt the group’s operations, officials say.
How to tip
Tips about Andre can be submitted to the State Department’s Rewards for Justice program; the RFJ site lists Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp as options and the secure tip number +1 202-702-7843. More detailed guidance and submission options are available on the Rewards for Justice website, which stresses confidentiality for informants, and the U.S. Embassy’s notice, reported by Local 10, said relocation assistance may be available for credible sources. Federal officials are urging people with information to use those secure channels rather than posting on social media.
What this could do
Reward offers can generate leads and increase pressure on criminal networks, but experts warn they are no substitute for on the ground security capacity in areas controlled by armed gangs. The combination of indictment, sanctions and a public reward expands tools for U.S. and international partners working to isolate Andre and his associates. Investigators say the priority is turning tips into verifiable intelligence that can lead to arrest and prosecution.
