18 suspects in Haitian president's assassination transferred to Florida for trial
Eighteen suspects in the 2021 murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse have been flown to Florida to face US federal charges. Thirty people have been indicted so far.
Eighteen assassination suspects flown to Florida to face trial
Eighteen suspects in the 2021 killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse have been transported by military aircraft from Haiti to Florida to stand trial, US officials announced on Sunday, the Jamaica Observer reports.
Moïse, 53, was shot dead on July 7, 2021, at his private residence by a hired group of approximately 20 military-trained Colombian mercenaries. His security detail did not intervene.
"Today's multi-location and international arrests underscore the FBI's continued commitment to bringing all participants in this plot to justice," FBI special agent Brett Skiles said on X.
Federal prosecutor Jason Reding Quinones confirmed the transfer in the same post: "18 transported in military plane from Haiti to face American justice in the Southern District of Florida." He added that 30 suspects have been indicted in the killing so far — and that the process is not over. "Five years later, we are still bringing defendants before American courts, and we are not finished," Quinones wrote.
In May, four men were convicted in a federal court in Miami on charges including conspiracy to kill or kidnap Moïse, conspiracy to provide material support, and violating the US Neutrality Act by engaging in an unlawful military operation abroad. All four were linked to CTU, a private security firm based in Florida, and were drawn into the plot by the prospect of securing lucrative contracts following Moïse's removal from power. They face possible sentences of life in prison.
Eleven people had previously been indicted in US courts, which hold jurisdiction over plots hatched on American soil. Five of those have already been sentenced to life in prison — among them a former Colombian soldier, a former Haitian senator, a Haitian-Chilean businessman, a retired Colombian soldier, and a Haitian American.
Haiti has descended into deeper instability since Moïse's assassination and currently has no president. The country is preparing to hold its first presidential and legislative elections since 2016, along with a constitutional referendum, on December 13 — contingent on security conditions.
Gangs control roughly 80 per cent of Port-au-Prince, with kidnappings for ransom, armed robbery, and carjackings widespread across the impoverished nation.
A United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), announced by the UN Security Council last year, was expected to reach a planned capacity of 5,500 uniformed personnel and 50 civilian staff between April and October. It will not meet that target, its spokesman confirmed earlier this month. As of July, the force comprised fewer than 1,000 personnel, drawn from Chad, Mongolia, Jamaica, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Sri Lanka. More recent figures have not been released.
Source: Jamaica Observer