Haiti faces mounting obstacles in broadening assassination investigation
Haiti expands assassination probe amid fugitive manhunt and international assistance requests.
Event / Security
Jovenel Moïse Assassination Prosecution
Eighteen suspects in the July 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse were extradited to the United States for trial in Florida. The case involves 30 total indictments spanning five years, with multiple convictions and guilty pleas already secured. Defendants include Colombian military personnel, Haitian-American citizens, and South Florida-based private security operatives.
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2026-09-21 to 2026-11-03 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 21 Sept, 01:27 UTC
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What happened
Former First Lady Martine Moïse indicted in Haiti on charges related to assassination
In 2024, a judge in Haiti indicted Martine Moïse, the former First Lady, on charges of complicity and criminal association in connection with her husband's assassination. Her attorney described the charges as unjust. She had testified in Miami federal court in March 2026, providing testimony about the attack and directly accusing former Haitian President Michel Martelly and former Prime Minister Ariel Henry of having connections to the assassination.
Dimitri Hérard, ex-security chief of National Palace, remains fugitive
Dimitri Hérard, former head of security at Haiti's National Palace, remains a key fugitive in the Moïse assassination case. He escaped in 2025 after a powerful gang federation stormed Haiti's two largest prisons.
Thirty people indicted in total for assassination of Haitian president
A total of 30 people have been indicted in connection with the assassination of President Moïse. This represents an ongoing investigation by U.S. authorities pursuing evidence related to financing, facilitation, and support of the assassination plot.
Five additional suspects in Moïse killing plead guilty and receive life sentences
At least five suspects in the assassination of President Moïse pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court and are serving life sentences. These include a retired Colombian army officer and a Haitian-Chilean businessman who had previously served as an informant for the U.S. government.
Four men convicted in Florida for conspiracy to kill Haitian president
In May 2026, a jury in Florida convicted four men—Arcángel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages—of conspiring to kill or kidnap Haiti's elected leader and providing material support for the plot. Prosecutors alleged the four were among the masterminds behind the assassination plot. All four had pleaded not guilty but were found guilty by the jury.
Haitian President Jovenel Moïse assassinated at private residence
Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was fatally shot at his private residence in Petionville, Haiti in July 2021. His wife, former First Lady Martine Moïse, was wounded during the attack. The assassination shocked the Caribbean nation and triggered multiple investigations.
Eighteen suspects extradited from Haiti to United States for trial
Eighteen suspects arrested in the July 2021 killing of President Moïse were extradited to the United States on September 21, 2026, to face trial in Florida. The suspects include more than a dozen Colombian soldiers, a former Haitian police officer, and a former Haiti Ministry of Justice employee. The extradition marked the end of a prolonged judicial process in Haiti that had been stalled by gang violence, death threats, and a deteriorating judicial system.
Christian Sanon awaiting trial in connection with Moïse assassination plot
Christian Sanon, a Haitian-American citizen, awaits trial in the Moïse assassination case. Authorities allege he was initially selected by conspirators to replace Moïse as president. According to the alleged plan, once in power, Sanon would have awarded infrastructure and security contracts to CTU, a company whose principals included two of the convicted conspirators.
Haiti requests U.S. and Canadian assistance with new assassination investigation
In October 2025, Haitian justice officials requested assistance from the U.S. and Canada after a local court of appeals ordered a third investigation into President Moïse's assassination. Previous investigations had stalled due to Haitian judges resigning from the case out of fear for their lives and gang control of the downtown Port-au-Prince courthouse where suspect interrogations were taking place.
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2 alternative perspectives
US prosecution secures convictions in Haiti assassination case
US prosecution has secured convictions against multiple suspects in the Haitian president assassination case.