UN Hits Haiti Gangs; FATF Updates List

Global Compliance and Sanctions Update: Haiti Sanctions and FATF List Revisions

In July 2025, notable updates from both the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) signaled stronger global measures against organized crime and financial system vulnerabilities. These developments emphasize the ongoing international focus on safeguarding human security and ensuring the integrity of financial markets.

UN Sanctions: Targeting Armed Groups Destabilizing Haiti

On July 8, 2025, the UNSC updated its Consolidated Sanctions List to include two Haitian armed organizations: Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm. These designations form part of broader UN initiatives to address rising violence, governance challenges, and humanitarian disruption in Haiti.

Gran Grif: Armed Control and Humanitarian Disruption

Gran Grif was sanctioned for its involvement in organized armed violence, extortion, kidnapping, and obstructing humanitarian aid. The group is reportedly responsible for controlling key districts of Port-au-Prince, using violence to dominate local populations. According to the UN, Gran Grif has been directly involved in hijacking aid convoys, targeting NGOs, and preventing access to essential medical and food supplies.

International agencies, including the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), have highlighted the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Haiti, with criminal groups like Gran Grif worsening conditions for already vulnerable populations. The UN press release SC16113 emphasizes that such groups pose a direct threat to peace, security, and humanitarian operations in the region.

Viv Ansanm: Human Rights Violations and Illegal Detention

Viv Ansanm was also sanctioned on July 8, 2025. While similar in scope to Gran Grif, Viv Ansanm has been specifically linked to enforced disappearances, illegal detention centers, and systematic human rights abuses. Reports from Amnesty International and local human rights watchdogs describe clandestine prisons operated by Viv Ansanm where civilians are detained without trial, sometimes in inhumane conditions.

These UNSC sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes against both organizations. Member states are obligated to implement these measures, affecting international financial institutions, law enforcement agencies, and humanitarian actors engaging in the region.

FATF High-Risk Jurisdictions: June 2025 Revisions

On June 13, 2025, the FATF released its latest review of jurisdictions under increased monitoring. These updates form part of the FATF’s global mandate to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.

Jurisdictions Added: Bolivia and British Virgin Islands

Bolivia and the British Virgin Islands (BVI) were officially added to the FATF’s list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring.

• Bolivia: FATF noted persistent issues with monitoring informal financial sectors, including challenges related to cash-based transactions and limited reporting from non-financial businesses.
• British Virgin Islands (BVI): Long regarded as a prominent offshore financial center, BVI faced renewed concerns about the opacity of its corporate structures. The FATF’s findings emphasized insufficient enforcement of beneficial ownership transparency requirements and gaps in supervisory frameworks.

Financial institutions globally are now advised to apply enhanced due diligence (EDD) measures when dealing with entities from Bolivia and BVI. This may affect banking relationships, correspondent banking arrangements, and cross-border investment flows.

Jurisdictions Removed: Croatia, Mali, and Tanzania

At the same time, Croatia, Mali, and Tanzania were removed from the list following substantial progress in addressing previously identified AML/CFT deficiencies. According to the FATF June 2025 Report, all three countries demonstrated stronger regulatory oversight, improved inter-agency cooperation, and better compliance with international standards.

Regional and Sector Impact

These sanctions and monitoring updates hold particular significance for financial institutions, legal professionals, NGOs, and multinational corporations.

• Haiti: Businesses operating in or near Haiti, particularly in logistics, security services, and humanitarian work, must review exposure to entities linked with Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm. UN sanctions apply globally, requiring asset freezes and operational caution.
• Offshore Financial Services: The inclusion of the British Virgin Islands on the FATF list marks a major compliance consideration for global financial institutions involved in offshore corporate services, fund management, and private banking.
• Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD): Firms are encouraged to update their risk assessment matrices to reflect these new developments. Both the UN sanctions and FATF monitoring list updates necessitate closer scrutiny of client relationships, payment flows, and third-party engagements.

Summary of July 2025 Key Compliance Updates

• UN Sanctions List Additions:
  • Gran Grif (Haiti) — Organized violence, extortion, humanitarian aid disruption
  • Viv Ansanm (Haiti) — Armed control, illegal detention, human rights violations
• FATF High-Risk Jurisdictions Update:
  • Added: Bolivia, British Virgin Islands
  • Removed: Croatia, Mali, Tanzania

For official source material, please refer to:

• UN Security Council Press Release: https://press.un.org/en/2025/sc16113.doc.htm
• FATF Increased Monitoring List: https://www.fatf-gafi.org/en/publications/High-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/Increased-Monitoring-June-2025.html