OVERVIEW

Viv Ansanm is a coalition of gangs that are responsible for widespread violence and coordinated attacks on critical infrastructure that exacerbate political and economic instability in Haiti. It formed in late 2023 from a merger of Port-au-Prince’s two main gang factions, the G9 Family and the G-Pep Alliance. Each of these factions in turn consisted of several semiautonomous gangs with their own operating areas and leaders.

Together, the members of Viv Ansanm control more than 90 percent of Port-au-Prince, as well as areas with access to key resources throughout Haiti. As a result, Viv Ansanm has reshaped Haiti’s gang landscape amid a conflict that has killed thousands of people and displaced at least 1.4 million people since 2022.

OPERATING AREAS
Primarily Port-au-Prince and the surrounding metropolitan area; operates throughout Haiti’s Artibonite, Center, and West departments

MEMBERS
Probably thousands; membership fluctuates as individual gangs join or leave the coalition

TACTICS AND TARGETS
Gaps in Haitian Government control, as well as Viv Ansanm’s social media activity, allow the gang to project influence over much of the Haitian population. It punishes perceived opposition through armed assaults, targeted killings, and massacres. Its main revenue comes from systematic extortion and kidnappings for ransom. Viv Ansanm maintains its personnel strength through forced recruitment, including of minors.

TERRORIST GROUP DESIGNATION
The US State Department designated Viv Ansanm as a foreign terrorist organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity in May 2025.

KEY LEADERS

NOTABLE ATTACKS