Haiti has transferred 18 people accused of involvement in the 2021 assassination of former President Jovenel Moise to Florida for trial in the United States. Moise was shot dead inside his residence in Port-au-Prince in July 2021. With gangs controlling large parts of Haiti and security conditions deteriorating, the domestic investigation has struggled to advance, leaving US prosecutors to take the lead in pursuing the case.
Jason Reding Quiñones, the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, described the transfer as the “next phase” in efforts to hold those responsible for the president’s assassination accountable. He said US courts were still receiving defendants five years after the killing and that the process of bringing suspects to justice was not yet complete. US prosecutors have so far charged 30 people in connection with the case.
18 Defendants Transferred to Florida
The group transferred to the United States includes 17 former Colombian soldiers and Joseph Badio, a former Haitian government official. Badio previously worked in an anti-corruption unit within Haiti’s Justice Ministry. US authorities allege that a Miami-based security company played a central role in recruiting the former Colombian soldiers.
US prosecutors say the planning and financing of the alleged plot involved Florida, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Haiti’s justice system has faced serious difficulty pursuing the case independently amid gang control and broader social disorder, prompting the transfer of the detained suspects to Florida for federal proceedings.
FBI agent Brett Skiles said coordinated arrests across multiple locations and countries showed that the bureau was continuing to pursue all participants in the alleged conspiracy. Several people previously linked to the case were killed during operations by Haitian police.
Defendants Could Face Life Imprisonment
In May this year, a Miami court found four people guilty of involvement in the conspiracy. The charges included conspiring to kill or kidnap Moise and conspiring to provide material support for the assassination of a president. Those convicted could face life imprisonment.
Some of the former Colombian soldiers, however, have consistently denied knowing about an assassination plan. They have said they were told they were taking part in a coup and believed they had been hired for a military operation, rather than to kill Moise. Their specific roles and whether they understood the alleged end goal are expected to remain central issues in the US proceedings.
When Moise was killed, armed men entered his Port-au-Prince residence and opened fire in his bedroom. The 53-year-old president died in the attack. The assassination shook Haitian society and exposed weaknesses in the country’s security and judicial institutions. Since then, gang influence has expanded, while persistent violence has disrupted movement, business activity and public services in the capital and other parts of the country.
Security Crisis Complicates Haiti’s Election Plans
Data from the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti shows that at least 1,408 people were killed and 656 injured between April and June this year. Ongoing gang violence has made the assassination case harder to prosecute while adding uncertainty for businesses, cross-border transport and financial activity. Further progress through the US justice system will depend on the continued transfer of defendants, preparation of evidence and cooperation among law-enforcement agencies in multiple countries.
Haiti plans to hold its first presidential and legislative elections since 2016 on December 13, although whether the vote can take place as scheduled still depends on security conditions. The transfer of the 18 suspects gives the assassination case a new judicial path in the United States, while the scale of violence and the limits of Haiti’s justice system remain key factors for both the proceedings and the election timetable.