Haiti Kidnappers Demand $17 Million For American, Canadian Hostages as FBI Attempts Rescue

(Photo : Photo by Valerie Baeriswyl / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE BAERISWYL/AFP via Getty Images)
FBI agents exit the residence of late Haitian President Jovenel Moise after conducting searches in Port-au-Prince on July 15, 2021, in the wake of his assassination on July 7, 2021. - The assassination of Jovenel Moise by armed mercenaries was planned in the neighboring Dominican Republic, say Haitian police, who announced the detention of the slain president's chief bodyguard and three other members of his security detail. The United States has sent members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), State Department, Justice Department, National Security Council and Department of Homeland Security to Haiti.

The Haitian gang that is responsible for the kidnapping of 17 people, 16 American and one Canadian, is seeking $17 million in exchange for the freedom of the hostages as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) attempts to rescue the victims.

Officials from the FBI coordinated with local authorities in the tiny Caribbean nation to locate and rescue the 17 kidnapped individuals who were taken on Saturday. The ransom of $17 million made by the gang constitutes $1 million for each hostage. A high-ranking government source was responsible for confirming the demands of the suspects.

Massive $17 Million Ransom

The perpetrators abducted the Ohio-based Christian organization missionaries just outside the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. Authorities believe that the gang responsible for the abductions is the "400 Mawozo" gang. A phone number was believed to have been owned by the leader of the gang. It was called and the man who picked up immediately hung up after realizing who was on the other end of the call.

Haiti residents took to the streets of the region's capital to protest the multiple crises that the nation is suffering from. Many people are expressing their discontent with the government and its responses to the dire political and economic situation, CBS News reported.

It was on Tuesday when the first reports of the gang responsible for the kidnappings called Christian Aid Ministries, the group to which the hostages were a part of, on Saturday. The minister of the group said that the FBI and Haitian police were working together to advise them in negotiations.

Since the disappearance of the individuals, several calls between the kidnappers and the missionary group have been made, said the minister. The group also urged people to pray for the "Haitian and American civil authorities who are working to resolve this situation."

Five children were among the 17 kidnapped victims, including an eight-month-old baby, said the missionary organization. The 400 Mawozo gang dominated the Croix-des-Bouquets, the area found about eight miles outside the capital where the victims were initially taken from, Reuters reported.

Efforts To Rescue the Hostages

In an interview with reporters, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the United States federal government was focused on the kidnapping incident. The U.S. official added that they were continuously working with the Haitian police force and the missionaries' church to address the crime.

United States President Joe Biden was confirmed to have been briefed regarding the matter as an American team worked with the American Embassy and local forces. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that the president was receiving regular updates regarding the situation in Haiti.

The 400 Mawozo gang's kidnapping of the 17 individuals is the most recent in a series of incidents that have shown the lack of security detail in the country. Many people have expressed their concerns that violence and crime in the region have been spiraling out of control.

"We can confirm their engagement, and the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince is coordinating with local authorities and providing assistance to the families to resolve the situation," Psaki said regarding the efforts to rescue the victims, the New York Times reported.