18 Moïse assassination suspects flown from Haiti to Florida to face US trial

Eighteen suspects in the 2021 killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse were flown out of Haiti on a military plane on Sunday to face trial in the United States, Reuters reported.

Jason Reding Quiñones, the US District Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, announced the transfer in a statement posted on social media: “Today marks the next major phase in our pursuit of accountability for the assassination.” In a post on X, Quiñones added: “18 transported in military plane from Haiti to face American justice in the Southern District of Florida” and “Five years later, we are still bringing defendants before American courts, and we are not finished.” He said 30 people had been indicted in connection with the crime.

FBI special agent Brett Skiles said on X: “Today’s multi-location and international arrests underscore the FBI’s continued commitment to bringing all participants in this plot to justice.”

Moïse, 53, was gunned down on 7 July 2021 at his private residence by a hired group of about 20 military-trained Colombian mercenaries, AFP reported via the Jamaica Observer. His security detail did not intervene to protect him.

In May, four South Florida men were convicted in a Miami federal court of plotting to kill the president by hiring the mercenaries. Prosecutors argued during the nine-week trial that the men assembled two dozen former Colombian soldiers and supplied them with money, guns, ammunition and tactical vests. AFP reported the convictions included conspiracy to kill or kidnap Moïse, conspiracy to provide material support and violating the US Neutrality Act, with possible life sentences; the men were linked to CTU, a Florida private security firm, and were lured into the plot by the prospect of securing lucrative contracts.

But the transfer drew criticism in Haiti. Pierre Espérance, executive director of the National Human Rights Defense Network, called it “a disgrace for the Haitian justice system” and urged an overhaul of the judiciary so such cases can be tried inside Haiti.

Sources

• Reuters, “Suspects in 2021 killing of Haitian president flown to U.S. to face trial”, 20 Sept 2026: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/suspects-2021-killing-haitian-president-flown-us-face-trial-2026-09-20/
• AFP via Jamaica Observer, “US arrests 18 suspects in killing of Haitian president”, 20 Sept 2026: https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2026/09/20/us-arrests-18-suspects-killing-haitian-president/