Beyond the Barricades: The Designation of Two Haitian Gangs, Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations

At the time the U.S. Department of State announced the terrorist designations of Viv Ansanm and Gran Grif on May 2, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the goal of the two Haitian gangs as seeking to establish “a gang-controlled state where illicit trafficking and other criminal activities operate freely.” Achieving this goal, while not strictly ideological, has significant implications for U.S. homeland security. The analysis of the two groups and their evolution highlights that they are an adaptive threat rather than an emerging threat. As Dr. Maguire notes, the groups have advanced beyond street gangs to become alternative centers of power in Haiti. Viv Ansanm represents a coalition of former rival criminal groups that have consolidated to further their governance and control in Port-au-Prince and to coordinate attacks across the city. In 2024, Viv Ansanm attacked prisons, government buildings, and the capital's main airport, in a campaign that helped force the prime minister to resign. In the Artibonite, Haiti's main rice-growing region, Gran Grif has used checkpoints, extortion, and large-scale killings to control commerce and movement. State reports that since 2022 Gran Grif has been responsible for 80 percent of civilian deaths reported in the region.