Camilla Jessen
A woman fatally poisoned dozens of gang members with tainted empanadas.
A street food vendor in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, has been arrested after poisoning 40 members of a notorious gang with pesticide-laced empanadas—known locally as pâtés—in a deadly act of personal vengeance.
According to local reports, the woman, whose identity has not been made public for her safety, was a well-known vendor in the Kenscoff district of the capital.
She reportedly lost several family members to a violent gang and spent months planning her response.
On the day of the incident, she offered free pâtés to members of the gang as a gesture of gratitude for “protecting the neighborhood.”
In reality, the pastries were reportedly laced with industrial insecticide.
Witnesses said the gang members began suffering from severe stomach pain and vomiting minutes after consuming the food.
None reportedly survived long enough to receive medical help.
Viv Ansanm Gang
The victims were believed to be affiliated with ‘Viv Ansanm’, a gang operating in Port-au-Prince allegedly linked to Jimmy Cherizier, also known as ‘Barbecue’, a former police officer turned powerful gang leader.
Local outlets claim that 40 individuals died in the mass poisoning.
Shortly after the incident, the woman fled her home, which was burned down in apparent retaliation.
According to reports, the woman later surrendered to Haitian police and confessed to orchestrating the poisoning alone. She stated her actions were motivated by the gang’s role in killing several of her relatives.
It remains unclear if she will face legal charges.
The Haitian justice system is currently under intense strain amid widespread violence, political instability, and the growing influence of armed gangs.
While the story has circulated widely through Haitian and regional media, it has not yet been confirmed by official government sources or international agencies.