US transfers 18 suspects to Florida over 2021 assassination of Haitian president

Eighteen suspects accused of involvement in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse have been transferred from Haiti to the United States to face federal charges in Florida, US authorities have confirmed.

The suspects were flown from Port-au-Prince to South Florida aboard a US military aircraft and are expected to face proceedings in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The transfer was announced by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida on September 19.

The development marks a significant step in the US investigation into the killing of Moïse, who was shot dead at his private residence in Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021. His wife, Martine Moïse, was also seriously wounded in the attack.

US Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said the latest transfer represented a new phase in efforts to establish accountability for the assassination.

He said US authorities would continue to follow evidence relating to those who allegedly financed, facilitated, supported or participated in the plot.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also said the international arrests demonstrated its continued efforts to identify and prosecute individuals allegedly involved in the assassination plot.

Among those transferred is Joseph Félix Badio, a former Haitian Ministry of Justice official who has been identified by Haitian authorities and international reports as a major suspect in the case. The other 17 detainees are Colombian nationals, according to reports.

The transfer comes months after a US federal jury convicted four men in Miami over their roles in the conspiracy.

In May 2026, Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla and James Solages were convicted of charges including conspiracy to provide material support for an assassination, conspiracy to kill or kidnap a person outside the United States and other offences linked to the plot. The four defendants face possible life imprisonment.

According to evidence presented during that trial, the conspiracy initially involved plans to kidnap Moïse and force him from office before the plot ultimately shifted to assassination.

US prosecutors said the conspirators recruited former Colombian soldiers and Haitian allies and sought to install a replacement government that would allow them to benefit from government contracts.

On the night of July 7, 2021, a group of Colombian former soldiers and Haitian accomplices attacked Moïse’s residence. Prosecutors said Moïse was fatally shot in his bedroom, while his wife was seriously injured.

The latest transfer also reflects the difficulties surrounding the case in Haiti, where the judicial process has been hampered by political instability, threats against judicial officials and widespread gang violence.

The 18 defendants will now face the US judicial process, where prosecutors have brought federal charges arising from the transnational conspiracy.

US authorities said 30 people have so far been indicted in connection with the assassination, indicating that the investigation remains ongoing.

The development comes more than five years after Moïse’s assassination, which plunged Haiti into further political instability and became the subject of an international investigation involving authorities in Haiti, the United States, Colombia and other countries.

The latest proceedings in Florida are expected to shed further light on the planning, financing and execution of the plot, as US prosecutors continue to pursue other alleged participants.