Gang violence and humanitarian collapse follow Haiti's presidential assassination
Haiti's humanitarian crisis worsens amid gang violence and state collapse following the presidential assassination.
Event / Security
Haiti President Moïse Assassination Trial
Federal jury in Miami convicted four South Florida men of conspiracy in the July 7, 2021 assassination of Haiti's President Jovenel Moïse. The defendants were found guilty of conspiring to kill or kidnap the president, providing material support, and violating the U.S. Neutrality Act. South Florida security firms recruited approximately two dozen Colombian mercenaries to execute the attack. The assassination triggered unprecedented gang violence and humanitarian crisis in Haiti, displacing 1.5 million people.
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2026-08-18 to 2026-11-15 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 9 May, 00:37 UTC
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What happened
South Florida security firms and individuals financed plot to assassinate Haiti's president
Arcangel Pretel Ortiz and Antonio Intriago were principals of Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy and Counter Terrorist Unit Security (collectively known as CTU), security firms based in South Florida. Walter Veintemilla was a principal of Worldwide Capital Lending Group, also based in South Florida. These companies served as central hubs for planning and financing the assassination plot. The total budget for the coup was approximately $343,000, with about half financed through loans from Veintemilla's lending company to CTU.
Haiti's assassination of president triggers gang violence and humanitarian crisis
Following President Moïse's assassination, Haiti descended into unprecedented gang-fueled chaos. Gang leaders have grown increasingly violent and empowered, driving nearly 1.5 million Haitians from their homes and worsening a humanitarian crisis in which 1 in 2 Haitians currently lack sufficient food. The country's judicial system has become severely compromised, stalling ongoing investigations.
Haitian President Jovenel Moïse killed in home invasion by foreign mercenaries
Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was killed on July 7, 2021, when approximately two dozen foreign mercenaries, mostly from Colombia, attacked his home near Port-au-Prince. Moïse was fatally shot multiple times in the upstairs bedroom of his rented residence. His wife, Martine, was seriously wounded in the attack and flown to the United States for medical treatment. The couple's two college-age children hid in a bathroom during the attack and were unharmed.
Florida jury convicts four men of conspiracy in assassination of Haiti's President Jovenel Moïse
A federal jury in Miami on Friday convicted Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages of conspiracy to kill or kidnap Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. All four were found guilty of conspiring to kill or kidnap Haiti's elected leader, providing material support for the plot, and violating the U.S. Neutrality Act. They face potential life sentences. South Florida served as the central location for planning and financing the assassination plot.
Colombian soldiers hired as mercenaries in assassination plot against Haiti's president
Approximately two dozen foreign mercenaries, mostly former Colombian soldiers, were recruited and sent to Port-au-Prince approximately one month before the assassination. The mercenaries were hired by the South Florida-based conspirators through CTU to carry out the violent operation. Twenty people, including 17 Colombian soldiers, face charges in Haiti related to the assassination.
Additional conspirators pleaded guilty to roles in Haiti's presidential assassination
At least six co-conspirators in the assassination plot pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap or kill President Moïse or lesser charges related to smuggling bulletproof vests to Colombian mercenaries. These individuals are serving life sentences. Two additional individuals took plea deals after being accused of money laundering charges related to the plot.
Christian Sanon initially identified as replacement candidate in Haiti's presidential assassination plot
Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a dual Haitian-American citizen and doctor-pastor living in South Florida, was initially the preferred candidate among conspirators to replace President Moïse after his removal. However, the plotters later abandoned Sanon in favor of another political candidate, a Haitian Superior Court justice, in the weeks before the assassination. Sanon will face trial at a later date due to health issues.
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Florida jury convicts four men in Moïse assassination conspiracy
Florida jury convicts four conspirators in Moïse assassination financed by South Florida operatives.