MIAMI, Florida — Eighteen people accused of involvement in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse were transferred from Haiti to South Florida, where they will face federal charges in the United States for their alleged participation in the plot that resulted in the president's death in July 2021.
The transfer was announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office for
the Southern District of Florida, which reported that teams from the FBI and
Homeland Security Investigations participated in the international operation.
"Today marks the next important phase in our pursuit of
accountability for the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse," stated
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones. He added that authorities will continue
to follow up on evidence to identify those who financed, facilitated, or
supported the plot.
Among those transferred are 17 former Colombian military
personnel and Joseph Badio, a former official in Haiti’s Ministry of Justice
who was arrested in 2023 after being on the run for more than two years. Some
of the defendants have claimed they were subjected to threats and pressure
while in custody in Haiti.
Moïse was shot and killed at his private residence in
Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021. The attack also left his wife, Martine Moïse,
wounded.
According to U.S. authorities, 30 people have been charged
in connection with the murder. The United States has continued to prosecute
other individuals involved, while several defendants have already been
convicted or pleaded guilty in federal court.
The case has been delayed for years in Haiti due to gang
violence, threats against judges, and difficulties in keeping the judicial
process active. With the arrival of the 18 defendants in Florida, the
investigation and criminal proceedings enter a new phase under U.S.
jurisdiction. US authorities indicated that the investigation is ongoing and
that they are still seeking to determine the full scope of the conspiracy and
all individuals who may have been involved in the assassination of the
then-Haitian president.