In short
- Eighteen people were flown from Haiti to Florida to stand trial over the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.
- The group includes 17 Colombian ex-soldiers and Joseph Badio, who worked in an anti-corruption unit at Haiti’s justice ministry.
- US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones said 30 suspects had been indicted over the killing so far.
- Four people were convicted in a Miami court in May for their part in the conspiracy and face possible life sentences.
- The UN Integrated Office in Haiti recorded at least 1,408 people killed and 656 injured between April and June this year.
Eighteen people have been flown from Haiti to Florida to stand trial over the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, according to the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason Reding Quiñones. The group includes 17 Colombian ex-soldiers and a former Haitian justice ministry official, Joseph Badio.
Who has been sent to the United States?
Those extradited on Sunday include 17 Colombian former soldiers and Joseph Badio, who worked in an anti-corruption unit at Haiti’s justice ministry at the time of the killing. US prosecutors allege that the planning and financing of Moise’s assassination was orchestrated from Florida, as well as from the Dominican Republic and Haiti itself.
How many suspects have been indicted?
Jason Reding Quiñones said 30 suspects had been indicted over the killing so far. He described the extraditions as “the next major phase in our pursuit of accountability” and added: “Five years later, we are still bringing defendants before American courts, and we are not finished.”
FBI special agent Brett Skiles said in a post on X that the arrests “underscore the FBI’s continued commitment to bringing all participants in this plot to justice”.
What has happened in US courts so far?
Four people were convicted in a Miami court in May for their part in the conspiracy, on charges that included conspiracy to kill or kidnap Moise and conspiracy to provide material support over the killing. They face possible sentences of life in prison. A Miami-based security firm is accused of playing a key role in hiring the Colombian ex-soldiers. Florida has also drawn scrutiny over its treatment of detained migrants, after a watchdog reported that a detention centre held immigrants in outdoor cages.
Why is the case being tried in Florida?
Previous Haitian investigations into the assassination have stalled because of widespread gang control and lawlessness in the country, so the onus has been on US prosecutors to bring the detainees to Florida and try the cases there. When gunmen entered Moise’s residence and killed him in his bedroom, it shocked many Haitians that the 53-year-old president was assassinated with such apparent ease.
What is the situation in Haiti now?
Haiti has been engulfed in a wave of gang violence since Moise was shot dead at his home in Port-au-Prince. The UN Integrated Office in Haiti recorded at least 1,408 people killed and 656 injured from April through to June this year. The country is preparing to hold its first presidential and legislative elections since 2016 on 13 December, if the security situation allows. Haitians abroad have also been affected by shifting US immigration rules, as Haitian caregivers have lost their US work permits with the expiry of Temporary Protected Status.
The Colombian former soldiers have claimed they were mercenaries who had been convinced they were taking part in a coup but were unaware of the intention to murder Moise. Several men allegedly connected to the killing were killed by police at the time. Other Haitian nationals have also appeared in US courts, among them a man accused of attacking US immigration agents who was given three months in prison.
Frequently asked questions
How many people have been indicted over Jovenel Moise’s assassination?
US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason Reding Quiñones said 30 suspects had been indicted over the killing so far, after 18 people were flown from Haiti to Florida.
Who was Jovenel Moise?
Jovenel Moise was Haiti’s president. He was 53 years old when he was shot dead at his home in Port-au-Prince in July 2021.
Why are the cases being tried in the United States?
US prosecutors allege the planning and financing of the killing was orchestrated from Florida, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Haitian investigations have stalled because of gang control and lawlessness.
When is Haiti’s next election?
Haiti is preparing to hold its first presidential and legislative elections since 2016 on 13 December, if the security situation allows.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)
