American YouTube star Addison Pierre Maalouf, known online as YourFellowArab or just “Arab”, was kidnapped while attempting to interview ‘Barbecue’, a top police officer-turned-gangster who now rules Haiti.
Maalouf travelled from his home in Atlanta to interview Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier. Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier is the head of the G9 Family and allies gang that has declared itself as the de facto ruler of Haiti.
Maalouf, according to a report by New York Post, is being held captive by the 400 Mawozo gang on March 14. He is reportedly being held inside a cage. Haitian gang 400 Mawozo, according to a report by think tank and media organisation InSight Crime, is a rival of G9 Family and is an affiliate of G-PEP.
The 400 Mawozo is demanding a $600,000 ransom of which $40,000 has already been paid but are demanding more money to secure his release. The close circle of the YouTuber told news outlets that they initially kept his kidnapping a secret but now are seeing that the news has broken.
“Tried keeping it private for two weeks, but it’s getting out everywhere now. Yes, Arab has been kidnapped in Haiti and we’re working on getting him out. He’ll be out soon,” fellow YouTuber and friend Lalem posted on X.
Maalouf’s last video was shot at a hotel in Haiti where he tells his viewers about the dangers of being in the country.
The UN rights office determined that gang violence left 4,451 people dead and another 1,668 injured last year. And just in the first three months of 2024 alone, up to March 22, 1,554 people were killed and 826 injured, it said. The report described rampant sexual violence, including women forced into exploitative sexual relations with gang members, rapes of hostages and of women after seeing their husbands killed in front of them.
Maalouf in his video also said that the capital Port-au-Prince is “completely run by gangs”. He said that he and his team had secured safe passage but warned that “all it takes is one stupid gang member holding an AK-47 for one thing to go wrong”.
“If I die, thanks for watching what I’ve put out. If I live, all glory to God,” he posted on X before leaving for Haiti. Miles “Lord Miles” Routledge, another YouTuber, claimed this week that he spoke directly with Maalouf using his kidnappers’ phone.
Routledge claims that Maalouf arrived in Haiti with “fixer” Sean Roubens Jean Sacra to film the ongoing riots in Haiti and was the first to say that Maalouf has been kept in a cage in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince’s eastern suburbs.
“His location is known,” he said. He also accused the US goverment of not doing enough to help US citizens, referring to Addison Pierre Maalouf who is a US resident.
The Caribbean nation is listed as a “Do not travel” country by the US State Department.
“Kidnapping is widespread and victims regularly include US citizens,” the department warns in a travel advisory. “The US Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas. We reiterate our message to US citizens: Do not travel to Haiti,” the advisory said.
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