January 29, 2026
Wearing a black suit and tie, Germine Joly attempted on Wednesday to convince a federal court in Washington that he had no connection to the 400 Mawozo gang. Known by the alias “Yonyon,” he categorically denied any involvement in the 2021 kidnapping of 16 American missionaries.
Prosecutors, however, accuse him of orchestrating the abduction from his prison cell in Haiti in an effort to negotiate his release. “I am not a member of the 400 Mawozo gang, and I did not create it,” Joly stated on the stand.
The missionaries, including five children, were abducted near Port-au-Prince while returning from an orphanage. While some were quickly released, most spent two months in captivity before a ransom was discreetly paid.
Already sentenced to 35 years for arms trafficking and money laundering, Joly had previously pleaded guilty to a 48-count indictment. U.S. authorities accuse him of using ransom money to purchase firearms in Florida and smuggle them into Haiti.
In response to the defendant’s denials, prosecutors opted to delay closing arguments in order to introduce an additional witness. The final arguments are now expected Thursday, as evidence of Joly’s alleged communications with the gang continues to intensify tension in the trial.
