US federal prosecutors have charged 30 people over their alleged involvement in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise.
Authorities said 18 of the defendants were transported from Haiti to Florida aboard military aircraft to face federal charges. US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Reding Quinones described the indictments as a major new step in efforts to hold those responsible for the president’s death accountable.
Quinones said investigators would continue searching for individuals who allegedly financed, supported or participated in activities connected to the assassination. He added that US authorities remained committed to bringing additional suspects before American courts.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles said the suspects allegedly carried out the killing in pursuit of illegal business opportunities and contracts. He said the arrests across several countries reflected continuing efforts to identify and prosecute those involved in the plot.
Moise was assassinated on July 7, 2021, when an armed group attacked his private residence in a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.
The president’s killing was followed by a worsening political and security crisis in Haiti. Gang alliances expanded their control over large parts of the capital, political institutions weakened further and humanitarian conditions deteriorated significantly.
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