Eighteen suspects linked to the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse have been transported from Haiti to the United States to face trial in Florida, US officials said.
The suspects were flown aboard a US military aircraft to the Southern District of Florida, where federal prosecutors are pursuing charges over the plot that led to Moïse’s death.
Moïse, 53, was shot dead at his private residence in Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021. His wife, Martine Moïse, was also seriously injured in the attack.
US Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones said the latest transfers marked another phase in efforts to hold everyone involved in the assassination accountable. He said 30 people have so far been indicted in connection with the case.
Among those transferred is Joseph Felix Badio, a former Haitian Justice Ministry official regarded as a key suspect, alongside 17 Colombian nationals.
The US prosecution follows the conviction of four men in Florida in May, while at least five other suspects have pleaded guilty and are serving life sentences.
The assassination plunged Haiti into a prolonged political and security crisis, while the country’s judicial process has been hampered by gang violence, threats against judges, and instability.
