By Mardiyyah Abubakar
Eighteen suspects linked to the 2021 assassination of former Haitian President Jovenel Moise have been transported from Haiti to the United States to face trial, US officials said on Sunday.
Moise, 53, was killed at his private residence in Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021, in an attack allegedly carried out by a group of Colombian mercenaries.
FBI Special Agent Brett Skiles said the arrests across multiple locations and countries demonstrated the agency’s commitment to bringing those involved in the plot to justice.
Federal prosecutor Jason Reding Quinones said the 18 suspects were transported by military aircraft to face charges in the Southern District of Florida.
Among those transferred is Joseph Felix Badio, a former anti-corruption official at Haiti’s Ministry of Justice and a key suspect in the investigation. The other suspects are reportedly Colombian nationals.
Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was monitoring the transfer of 17 Colombian citizens to the US, stressing that it did not participate in the decision or process leading to their transfer.
US prosecutors said 30 people have so far been indicted in connection with the assassination, while four men were convicted in a Miami federal court in May over charges linked to the plot.
The four convicted men were associated with CTU, a Florida-based private security company, and prosecutors said they were recruited with promises of lucrative contracts following Moise’s removal from office.
The assassination has been followed by prolonged political and security instability in Haiti. The country is preparing for presidential and legislative elections, as well as a constitutional referendum, scheduled for December 13, subject to security conditions.
