Little was known about 400 Mawozo before 2019, whenreportsof its involvement in gang clashes started to appear. But a security analyst told InSight Crime that the group was created in 2016 and has expanded significantly since 2018. 

While the gang shares many traits with other criminal groups in Haiti — high-powered weaponry, participation in criminal economies such as extortion, and political connections — it stands out for innovation.

Starting around 2020, 400 Mawozobegan using “express kidnapping” on a major level. Small groups of armed men on motorcycles targeted people located on roads or using public transportation. Victims were typically released after a few days after a small ransom was paid, as the model is based on volume rather than high payouts. 

The gang has orchestrated several large abductions, including the kidnapping of dozens of Christian missionaries in 2021 and a busload of tourists the following year. Express kidnappings have also targeted high-profile foreigners, including, in 2024, American YouTuber Addison Pierre Maalouf.  

In early 2024, 400 Mawozo joined the Viv Ansanm alliance—likely as a pragmatic move to boost its influence —aligning with major gangs such as the G9 Family and G-Pèp,. It took part in a March 2024prison break in Mirebalais in line with Viv Ansanm’s broader strategy of weakening government authority. Yet it remains anchored in Croix-des-Bouquets, where it concentrates on cross-border smuggling, kidnapping and extortion.

Leadership

Joseph Wilson, alias “Lanmò San Jou,” is the leader of 400 Mawozo. Lanmò San Jou, which translates to “death has no appointed time,” iswanted by Haitian authorities on charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and vehicle theft.

The gang’s second-in-command is Germine Joly, alias “Yonyon.” He wassentenced to life imprisonment in Haiti in 2018 after being accused of  multiple crimes, including kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, murder, and illegal firearm possession. Yonyon was subsequentlytransferred from Haiti to the US, where he pled guilty to weapons smuggling, kidnapping, extortion, and money laundering. He wassentenced to 35 years in federal prison.

Another important lieutenant, alias “Gaspiyaj,” waskilled in November 2021 in a shootout with authorities. Under Lanmò San Jou and his lieutenants, 400 Mawozo has grown into one of Haiti’s largest and most dangerous gangs. The UN estimates the group has approximately 300 members as of late 2024, though some Haitian gang experts put that figure as high as 1,000.   

Criminal Activity

Since 2020, 400 Mawozo has focused on collective kidnapping for ransom. They were responsible for theabduction of 17 American and Canadian citizens, including five children in October 2021. Even though at first the victims appeared to have escaped their captors, new information suggests that they werereleased after a mystery donor contributed to the ransom of $1 million per person.

Haitian policeblamed 400 Mawozo for the April 2022 kidnapping of seven clergy members, including two French citizens. The gang demanded a $1 million ransom for their release. All were freed a week later, but it is unknown whether the ransom was paid.

Religious groups are not their only victims. 400 Mawozo’s kidnappings have also targeted high-profile foreigners, including the March 2024 abduction of American YouTuber “YourFellowArab,” for whom they demanded a ransom of $600,000. 

According to Haiti’s Human Rights Analysis and Research Center (Centre d’Analyse et de Recherche en Droits de l’Homme – CARDH), 400 Mawozo has also engaged in businessextortion, cargo truck hijackings and other kinds of illegal trafficking along the border with the Dominican Republic. According to a 2024UN report, the gang’s cross-border network—comprising businesspeople, transporters, and corrupt customs officials—smuggles arms, ammunition and other contraband into Haiti. 400 Mawozo’s control over key border points like Malpasse positions the gang as a weapons supplier to other gangs.

Geography

400 Mawozo’s criminal activities have largely been concentrated in the municipality of Croix-des-Bouquets, on the outskirts of metropolitan Port-au-Prince. The gang also maintains a presence in the municipalities of Ganthier, Thomasséau, and Fonds-Verettes.

Notably, it controls key roads connecting Port-au-Prince to the north of the island and to the Dominican Republic. By managing checkpoints along these routes, 400 Mawozo can tax or extort transporters and facilitate arms and contraband smuggling, generating steady revenue.

As a member of Viv Ansanm, 400 Mawozo has used these strongholds tolaunch offensivesinto Mirebalais, Saut-d’Eau, and Lascahobas in March 2025, and expand their influence deeper into Port-au-Prince.

According to a security analyst consulted by InSight Crime, 400 Mawozo also established a presence in the border town of Malpasse, one of four crossings from the Dominican Republic. Controlling these territories gives 400 Mawozo political leverage in western Haiti and has allowed the gang to control the Croix-des-Bouquets prison, where many of its members are behind bars. 

Allies and Enemies

Until 2023, 400 Mawozo operated largely on its own, with limited ties to other gangs. According to CARDH, the group supplied ammunition to theVillage de Dieu gang in Port-au-Prince and drew smaller armed groups from the suburb of Canaan into its orbit.

When 400 Mawozo joined forces with theG9 Family andG-Pèp network as part of the Viv Ansanm coalition, 400 Mawozo’s rivalries expanded to include gangs that refused to join Viv Ansanm, creating new competition in 400 Mawozo’s strongholds. 

At the same time, 400 Mawozo came under pressure from the Haitian National Police, the Kenya-ledMSS mission, and elite-backed militiasopposing the alliance’s growing influence.

According to a September 2024UN report, 400 Mawozo has received support from Haitian economic elites and former officials, who facilitated its cross-border smuggling of arms and other contraband. Notably, a former Haitian senator financed the gang and coordinated its shipments through corrupt customs officials. He wassanctioned for corruption by both the U.S. and Canada in 2022.

Leveraging this elite backing and control over key roads and border points, 400 Mawozo supplies ammunition to other gangs within the Viv Ansanm alliance, reinforcing its economic, territorial, and political power.

Prospects

Profits from kidnapping, extortion, and trafficking give 400 Mawozo the financial muscle to expand its ranks and arsenals. Their sprawling geographic presence —connecting Port-au-Prince to the Dominican Republic — grants them access to a broad pool of potential kidnapping and extortion victims, in addition to lucrative smuggling routes.

Since joining Viv Ansanm in late 2023, the gang has strengthened its operational reach, coordinating with other major criminal actors and exploiting gaps in state presence to maintain control. 

The expansion of 400 Mawozo indicates that it likely has secured the political influence needed to maintain its control, as other gangs such as the G9 have done. A former Haitian government official told InSight Crime on condition of anonymity that “there are 400 Mawozo wearing suits and ties.”400 Mawozo has faced targeted securityoperations, notably during a February 2025 offensive in Croix-des-Bouquets by the Haitian National Police and the MSS mission. But the gang rapidly reclaimed the territory. Overall, no sustained crackdown has succeeded in degrading the gang’s strategic position.