Port-au-Prince: The leader of a notorious Haiti gang accused of kidnapping 17 members of a US missionary group has warned that the hostages will be killed if their demands are not met.
Haiti gang leader Wilson Joseph said in a video posted on social media, “I swear that I will shoot these Americans in the head if my demands are not met.”
Officials said this week that the ‘400 Mawozo’ gang is demanding a ransom of $1 million for each kidnapped missionary. It is not clear whether he has also demanded a ransom for the five children involved in the missionary group.
Significantly, along with a driver from Haiti, 16 US citizens and one Canadian were abducted on Saturday when they went to an orphanage.
Joseph also threatened Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry and Haiti’s national police chief. Henry’s office later reported that Léon Charles had resigned as Haiti’s national police chief.
