A man known as 'Yonyon,' who once claimed to be the 'king' of a violent gang in Haiti, has been sentenced to 35 years in prison in a federal court in Washington, D.C. The man, Germine Joly, pleaded guilty to weapons smuggling and money laundering related to the kidnapping of 16 U.S. citizens in October 2021.
The case against Joly is part of a broader effort by U.S. authorities to combat the smuggling of weapons from the U.S. to Haiti. Gangs in Haiti, controlling a significant portion of the capital, have caused widespread displacement and chaos, with over 580,000 people left homeless.
