Haiti extradites 18 suspects in assassination of president to US
Eighteen people have been flown from Haiti to the US state of Florida to stand trial for their alleged involvement in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise five years ago. Moise was shot dead at his home in the capital, Port-au-Prince, in July 2021, allegedly by a group of mainly Colombian mercenaries. US takes […]
Eighteen individuals have been transported from Haiti to Florida, United States, to face trial over the alleged participation in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, which occurred five years ago. The president was killed in July 2021 in his residence in Port-au-Prince, allegedly by a group of Colombian mercenaries. Haitian investigations into the assassination have been hindered by gang control and lawlessness within the country.
US Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones emphasized that the extradition marks a "major phase in our pursuit of accountability" regarding the presidential assassination. So far, 30 people have been indicted for their involvement in the killing, with US prosecutors alleging that the planning and financing of the assassination were orchestrated from Florida, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti itself.
The US government has stepped in to take a lead role in the case due to Haiti's troubled justice system. Among those extradited were 17 ex-Colombian soldiers and Joseph Badio, a senior government official from the now-defunct Haitian anti-corruption unit. The FBI highlighted the ongoing commitment to bringing all participants to justice through these multi-location and international arrests.
Several individuals linked to the murder were killed by police following the assassination, and four people were convicted in a Miami court in May for their roles in the conspiracy, facing potential life sentences. The Colombian ex-soldiers claimed they were mercenaries misled into participating in a coup and denied involvement in Moise's murder.
As the US legal proceedings unfold, the competing accounts and allegations will remain crucial in establishing the defendants' roles in the conspiracy. Haiti has experienced severe gang violence since Moise's assassination, leading to a weakened state and ongoing security challenges. The country is set to hold its first elections since 2016 on December 13, with the security situation and the unresolved consequences of Moise's assassination posing significant hurdles.
Written by urgent.news from People Daily Kenya's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Haiti extradites 18 suspects in assassination of president to US kahawatungu.com
