U.S. Designates Haitian Gangs as Foreign Terrorist Organizations: AmCham Engages with U.S. Embassy

On May 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of State officially designated the Haitian gang alliance Viv Ansanm and the Gran Grif gang as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs). These classifications carry significant legal and financial implications, including sanctions and potential criminal liability for individuals or entities providing material support to these groups. The U.S. government has also emphasized that such support may result in serious immigration consequences.

In response to this development, the AmCham Haiti Board of Directors met with U.S. Ambassador Dennis Hankins on May 7 to seek clarity on the implications of these designations for the Haitian business community. While the Embassy acknowledged the importance of the issue, it noted that details remain limited as further guidance is expected from Washington.

During the same meeting, the Board also recognized the departure of Mr. Nicholas Hilgert, Counselor for Economic Affairs, who has worked closely with AmCham over the past several months. We thank Mr. Hilgert for his collaboration and extend our best wishes for his future endeavors. We also welcomed his successor, Ms. Kara Babrowski, and look forward to continuing our strong partnership with the U.S. Embassy’s Economic Affairs Section.

AmCham Haiti will continue to monitor this evolving situation and provide timely updates to our members as new information becomes available.