Joly Germine, also known as "Yonyon," received a life sentence in a U.S. court for orchestrating the October 16, 2021, kidnapping of 17 people linked to Christian Aid Ministries near Port-au-Prince.Germine coordinated the abductions and ransom demands from a Haitian prison using unmonitored cell phones, and he was also convicted of smuggling U.S. firearms into Haiti as well as laundering ransom money in prior cases.During sentencing, victims and U.S. District Judge
John Bates addressed Germine, while his attorneys denied he led "
400 Mawozo," and the case spotlighted cross-border law enforcement cooperation against Haiti's ongoing gang violence.