Eighteen suspects linked to the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse have been arrested and flown to Florida to face trial in the United States, US officials announced on Sunday.
Moïse, 53, was shot dead on July 7, 2021, at his private residence in Port-au-Prince by a group of about 20 military-trained Colombian mercenaries. His security detail did not intervene during the attack.
FBI Special Agent Brett Skiles said the multi-location and international arrests highlight the bureau’s ongoing commitment to bringing all participants in the plot to justice.
Federal prosecutor Jason Reding Quiñones confirmed that the 18 suspects were transported on a military plane from Haiti to the Southern District of Florida.
“Five years later, we are still bringing defendants before American courts, and we are not finished,” Quiñones stated, noting that 30 suspects have so far been indicted in connection with the killing.
Among those extradited is Joseph Felix Badio, a former anti-corruption official at Haiti’s Ministry of Justice and a key figure in the investigation, according to Haitian government and police sources. The remaining suspects are primarily Colombian mercenaries.
US prosecutors say the planning and financing of the assassination were orchestrated in part from Florida, giving American courts jurisdiction.
The case has seen prior progress in the United States, including the conviction in May 2026 of four men on charges related to the plot.
The development marks a significant step in the long-running effort to hold those responsible accountable for the high-profile assassination that plunged Haiti deeper into instability.
