The short version
- Eighteen individuals accused of involvement in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise have been extradited from Haiti to Florida.
- U.S. prosecutors allege the plot was financed and orchestrated from Florida, with suspects including Colombian ex-soldiers and a former Haitian government official.
- The extradition follows years of stalled investigations in Haiti due to gang violence, judicial resignations, and security threats against legal officials.
Eighteen individuals accused of participating in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise were transferred from Haiti to Florida on Sunday, marking a pivotal development in a case that has remained unresolved for five years. The suspects, who include seventeen former Colombian soldiers and Joseph Badio, a senior official from Haiti’s justice ministry, will now face trial in U.S. federal courts. This move represents a strategic shift by American prosecutors, who have taken the lead in pursuing accountability after local investigations repeatedly collapsed under the weight of gang violence and institutional failure.
U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones described the extradition as the next major phase in the pursuit of justice for the killing, which occurred in July 2021 when gunmen stormed Moise’s residence in Port-au-Prince. According to federal authorities, the conspiracy was planned and financed not only in Haiti but also from Florida and the Dominican Republic. Quiñones emphasized that the investigation remains active, noting that thirty suspects have been indicted overall and that prosecutors are determined to follow the evidence to those who financed, facilitated, or committed crimes related to the assassination.
The decision to try these defendants in the United States stems from the dire state of Haiti’s justice system. Since the president’s death, the country has been engulfed in widespread gang control and lawlessness. Previous judicial efforts have stalled because judges resigned out of fear for their lives, and gangs seized control of key courthouses in downtown Port-au-Prince. In October 2025, Haitian justice officials formally requested assistance from the U.S. and Canada after a local appeals court ordered a third investigation into the killing, acknowledging that domestic proceedings were no longer viable.
Among those extradited is Joseph Badio, who worked in an anti-corruption unit at the time of Moise’s death. Defense attorneys for other suspects have previously asserted that Badio was the mastermind behind a plan to arrest and subsequently assassinate the president. The former soldiers, meanwhile, have claimed they were hired as mercenaries under the impression they were participating in a coup rather than a murder plot. A Miami-based security firm is accused of playing a central role in recruiting these Colombian ex-soldiers, linking the violence directly to financial interests in South Florida.
The legal proceedings in Florida have already yielded convictions for several individuals connected to the conspiracy. In May, a jury convicted four men—Arcángel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages—of conspiring to kill or kidnap Moise and providing material support for the plot. These defendants pleaded not guilty but were found responsible for crimes that carry potential life sentences. Additionally, at least five other suspects have pleaded guilty and are currently serving life terms, including a retired Colombian army officer and a Haitian-Chilean businessman who had previously served as an informant for U.S. authorities.
The alleged financial motive behind the assassination centers on infrastructure contracts and security deals. Authorities indicate that Christian Sanon, a Haitian-American citizen awaiting trial, was initially selected by conspirators to replace Moise once he was removed from power. The plan reportedly involved awarding lucrative contracts to companies such as Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy and Worldwide Capital Lending Group, both based in South Florida. Ortiz and Intriago were principals in the former entity, while Veintemilla led the latter, suggesting a coordinated effort to profit from political instability.
For families of the detained Colombians, the sudden extradition came as a shock. Diana Marcela Arbeláez Llano, wife of one suspect, expressed uncertainty about the timing and conditions of the transfer, noting that relatives had long complained about inhumane prison conditions in Haiti. She stated that the detainees are suffering from poor health due to their detention environment and hoped for better medical care in the United States. Despite these concerns, U.S. officials maintain that bringing the suspects to Florida is necessary to ensure a fair trial and uphold the rule of law.
The assassination of Moise has had profound consequences for Haiti’s stability. Since his death, the nation has experienced escalating gang violence, with hundreds killed and thousands displaced in recent months alone. The United Nations reported significant casualties between April and June this year, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian crisis. As Haiti prepares to hold its first presidential and legislative elections since 2016, scheduled for December 13, security remains a critical barrier. Whether these elections can proceed depends largely on whether violence subsides enough to allow voting.
Key fugitives remain at large, including Dimitri Hérard, the former head of security at Haiti’s National Palace, who escaped after gangs stormed major prisons two years ago. FBI Special Agent Brett Skiles affirmed that law enforcement agencies remain committed to apprehending all participants in the plot. The extradition of these eighteen suspects signals a continued effort by U.S. authorities to dismantle networks involved in high-profile political violence, even as Haiti struggles to restore basic governance and public safety.
As the trials proceed in Florida, the case highlights the complex interplay between transnational crime, political corruption, and international justice. While some view the extradition as a step toward accountability, others see it as evidence of Haiti’s inability to manage its own judicial affairs. The outcome of these proceedings may set precedents for how similar cases involving foreign nationals and domestic instability are handled in the future.
Sources behind this briefing
Go to the original reporting
- BBC News↗Haiti extradites 18 suspects in assassination of president to US
- PBS NewsHour↗18 suspects accused in the 2021 killing of Haiti's president being extradited from Haiti to U.S.
