-
Name Meaning: “400 Mawozo” translates roughly to “400 Skillful Men” in Haitian Creole (though membership is estimated at 200–300).
-
Specialization: Kidnapping-for-ransom, armed roadblocks, and extortion.
-
Territory: Controls Croix-des-Bouquets (near Port-au-Prince) and key highways to the Dominican border.
Leader: Wilson Joseph (a.k.a. “Lanmò San Jou”/”Death Has No Date”)
-
Status: Wanted by the FBI (with a $2M bounty).
-
Background: Former police officer turned gang boss.
-
Notorious Crimes:
-
October 2021: Kidnapped 17 U.S. and Canadian missionaries (held for 2 months, ransom paid).
-
2022–2024: Mass kidnappings of buses, schoolchildren, and aid workers.
-
Prison Break: Freed in March 2024 during gang attacks on Haiti’s prisons.
-
Tactics & Influence
-
Highway Control: Blocks Route Nationale 3 (extorting drivers, kidnapping travelers).
-
Weapons: Uses AR-15s, grenades, and drones (smuggled from the U.S./DR).
-
Political Ties: Allegedly linked to business elites who profit from chaos.
Recent Activity (2024)
-
Joined G-Pèp coalition to overthrow PM Ariel Henry.
-
Now fights rival gangs (G9) for control of Port-au-Prince slums.
International Response
-
FBI Wanted List: Wilson Joseph faces terrorism charges.
-
UN Sanctions: Asset freezes on gang financiers.
Did you mean a different gang? Let me know!
