RANSOM

Haiti Missionary Kidnappers: We Want $1 Million Per Head

The 400 Mawozo gang are likely expecting to be negotiated down, the Haitian minister of justice said.

A Haitian criminal gang that kidnapped 17 Christian missionaries is seeking a $1 million ransom per person, Haitian Justice Minister Liszt Quitel said. Quitel confirmed to The Washington Post that the 400 Mawozo gang, who carried out the abduction, was likely expecting to be negotiated down. “Usually they request more, then people close to the kidnapped persons will negotiate,” he said. “Usually even when they ask for a ransom they know they don’t get all that they ask.”

The hostages—16 Americans and one Canadian—were taken on Saturday. The group, which includes five children, are affiliated with Christian Aid Ministries, an Ohio-based organization. One abductee is an 8-month-old baby, according to the Post. Quitel said he wasn’t directly involved in negotiations, though his office is assisting. “I don’t have the specifics, I don’t want to interfere with whoever is negotiating and the kidnappers,” he said. “Every case is different.”