On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the White House reported that President Joe Biden is actively working to rescue 17 missionaries who are being held hostage by a gang in Haiti. The missionaries, five of which are children, were kidnapped on Oct. 16.
Sixteen American citizens and one Canadian citizen are being held hostage. They worked for Christian Aid Ministries, which is based in Ohio.
One of the children being held hostage is reported to be as young as 8 months old and other children are three, six, 13 and 15 years old. Adults are reported to range from 18 to 48 years old.
The missionaries were kidnapped by the 400 Mawozo gang based in Port-au-Prince after returning from an orphanage. A $17 million USD ransom has been demanded in exchange for the release of the 17 missionaries.
The 400 Mawozo gang operates in Croix-des-Bouquets near the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Gang members began with stealing cows and cars, but the gang has now begun to participate in kidnappings and extortion.
It is reportedly led by Wilson Joseph, also known as Lanmò Sanjou. Joly “Yonyon” Germine is suspected to be acting as second-in-command of the 400 Mawozo gang, despite being in jail.
Reportedly, the missionaries are being held hostage in La Tremblay, which is located in Ganthier.
Three Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents were deployed to Haiti on Sunday, Oct. 17 to investigate the kidnapping.
According to U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, law enforcement specialists and hostage recovery were also sent to Haiti. They will be working with Christian Aid Ministries, the hostages’ family members and the Haitian government to organize a rescue mission for the 17 missionaries.
The Associated Press reported that family members have expressed concerns about the Biden administration’s handling of the hostage situation, writing in a letter that the administration appears to be “bogged down in burdensome processes or policy debates that keep our loved ones from coming home.” Family members also expressed that the lack of communication was especially concerning to them.
The hostage situation follows the kidnapping of Pastor Jean Pierre Ferrer Michel and two members of his congregation who were kidnapped on Sunday, Oct. 3. They paid $300,000 USD to ensure that they were released; however, only one of them was released. Michel and another hostage Norman Wiener were finally released on Monday, Oct. 4.
In their letter, individuals in the hostage community called on Biden to “prioritize the release of hostages,” according to U.S. News.
The letter was signed by the family members of 26 American hostages and detainees.
In Haiti, there has been a rise in kidnappings and gang violence.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 73 women and children have been targeted by gang members in Haiti. Gang violence in Haiti has increased 62 percent since September 2020.
Sullivan has given daily briefings to Biden on the hostage situation.
According to Sullivan, Biden is “…taking a deep interest in making sure we get every single one of those people home safely.”
