U.S. Arrests 30 More in Jovenel Moïse Assassination, Including 18 Flown From Haiti
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 20
U.S. Arrests 30 More in Jovenel Moïse Assassination, Including 18 Flown From Haiti
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 20
Summary
Thirty additional suspects were arrested Sunday in the 2021 killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, with 18 transferred from Haiti to Miami on a U.S. military plane, the U.S. attorney in South Florida said.
Twelve others were apprehended in multiple locations as the Justice Department opened what prosecutors called the next major phase of the case, saying they are still bringing defendants before U.S. courts five years later.
Patrick Pelissier, Haiti’s justice minister, said those flown to Miami included 17 former Colombian soldiers and Joseph Badio, a former Haitian Justice Ministry official Haitian investigators have described as a central architect of the plot.
Miami prosecutors had already secured 12 convictions tied to the conspiracy, including former Colombian soldiers, a Haitian politician, CTU Federal Academy owners and alleged financiers, underscoring the broad U.S. role in the case.
With suspects extradited to Miami, will the federal trial finally expose the hidden mastermind who funded the assassination of President Moïse?
Does outsourcing this historic murder trial to Florida prove that Haiti's domestic justice system is entirely beyond saving?
Who Killed Jovenel Moïse? Inside the 2026 U.S. Extradition, Trial of 18 Suspects, and the Unanswered Questions Plaguing Haiti
Overview
The assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in 2021 plunged Haiti into chaos, with political instability and gang violence crippling the country’s judicial system. As a result, U.S. authorities took the lead in prosecuting the case, since much of the planning and financing happened in South Florida. In September 2026, 18 suspects were flown from Haiti to Florida for trial, highlighting the collapse of Haiti’s ability to deliver justice. The U.S. prosecution, complicated by national security concerns and limited cooperation with Haitian authorities, has brought some conspirators to court but left many questions about the true masterminds and motives unresolved, while Haiti continues to suffer from violence and weak governance.