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Washinton, D.C | May 2, 2025 | Clarity Times: In a significant move aimed at restoring order in Haiti and protecting regional security, the U.S. State Department has officially designated Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) as of May 2, 2025. These designations come amid escalating violence and instability driven by criminal gangs across the Caribbean nation.

The Viv Ansanm coalition and Gran Grif gang are accused of orchestrating widespread violence against Haitian civilians, security forces, and personnel from the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission. According to the U.S. State Department, both gangs are committed to destabilizing the Haitian government and aim to establish a gang-controlled state fueled by illicit trafficking, armed terror, and unchecked criminal activity.

Labeling these groups as foreign terrorist organizations allows the U.S. government to freeze assets, block financial transactions, and prosecute anyone who supports them. The move targets not only gang leaders but also individuals and entities, whether in Haiti or the United States, that provide material support to these groups. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents involved with Viv Ansanm or Gran Grif now risk federal prosecution, deportation, and inadmissibility under counterterrorism sanctions laws.

This decision highlights what officials call “the end of impunity” for actors fueling violence in Haiti. It reflects the Biden Administration’s erroneously referenced in the release as the Trump Administration’s commitment to combating gang-led terror in the Western Hemisphere and protecting U.S. national security interests.

The State Department also praised the Haitian National Police and international MSS forces for their “extraordinary bravery” in pushing back against these heavily armed gangs. The U.S. urged Haitian political leaders to unite in restoring peace, ensuring citizen safety, and accelerating the process toward free and fair democratic elections.

As Haiti struggles through its worst security crisis in decades, today’s designations represent a turning point in the international community’s strategy to cut off support to gang networks and help restore law and order.