The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has imposed sanctions on Dimitri Herard and Kempes Sanon for their roles in supporting the Haitian gang coalition Viv Ansanm. According to the Treasury, Viv Ansanm is responsible for contributing to violence and instability in Haiti.
Bradley T. Smith, Director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control, stated, “Today’s action underscores the critical role of gang leaders and facilitators like Herard and Sanon, whose support enables Viv Ansanm’s campaign of violence, extortion, and terrorism in Haiti. The United States is committed to holding accountable the violent terrorist gangs that endanger the Haitian people.”
Viv Ansanm was previously designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) and Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. Department of State on May 2, 2025. The latest sanctions are enacted under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorist groups and those who support them.
Herard, a former Haitian police officer, was connected to the assassination of former President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 and later imprisoned by Haitian authorities. After escaping prison in 2024, he reportedly collaborated with Viv Ansanm, providing training and firearms to gang leaders and supporting attacks against state institutions.
Sanon leads the Bel Air gang, a member of the Viv Ansanm alliance. He and his gang have been implicated in civilian killings, extortion, illicit taxation, and kidnappings.
Both Herard and Sanon are sanctioned for materially assisting or providing support to Viv Ansanm. As a result, all property and interests in property belonging to the designated individuals within the United States or under the control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. Entities owned 50 percent or more by these individuals are also blocked. U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving the property of blocked individuals unless authorized by OFAC.
Violations of these sanctions can result in civil or criminal penalties for both U.S. and foreign persons. Financial institutions may also face sanctions if they engage in significant transactions with designated individuals. The prohibitions extend to providing or receiving funds, goods, or services involving blocked persons.
OFAC has the authority to impose secondary sanctions on foreign financial institutions that knowingly conduct significant transactions on behalf of designated persons. The agency can restrict or prohibit such institutions from maintaining correspondent or payable-through accounts in the United States.
OFAC emphasizes that the goal of sanctions is to encourage positive behavioral change rather than punishment. The agency provides guidance on the process for seeking removal from its lists, including the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.
For more information on the designated individuals, visit the Treasury Department’s website.
