MIAMI – Eighteen men accused of involvement in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse appeared before a federal judge in Miami on Monday after being transferred from Haiti to the United States to face prosecution.
The group consists of 17 former Colombian soldiers and Joseph Badio, a former Haitian government official. They are among roughly 30 people accused in the United States in connection with the conspiracy that culminated in Moïse’s assassination at his private residence on July 7, 2021.
The case has drawn renewed attention because of allegations concerning how the operation was financed.
According to U.S. federal prosecutors, money fraudulently obtained through COVID-19 pandemic relief programs was allegedly diverted to help finance the plot. The programs included the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), which were created to assist businesses affected by the pandemic.
Prosecutors allege that some of the money was used to recruit and pay Colombian mercenaries and to purchase weapons, ammunition and tactical equipment used in connection with the operation.
U.S. authorities have argued that South Florida served as an important planning and financing center for the conspiracy, providing the jurisdictional basis for significant portions of the federal investigation and prosecution.
The assassination shocked Haiti and intensified a political and security crisis that has continued to destabilize the Caribbean nation. Moïse was killed when an armed group entered his residence near Port-au-Prince during the early hours of July 7, 2021. His wife, Martine Moïse, was wounded in the attack.
The transfer of the 18 suspects to the United States represents a significant expansion of the Miami prosecution, which has already resulted in convictions.
Four men linked to organizing or facilitating the plot have already been convicted in Miami and face the possibility of life imprisonment.
U.S. authorities have maintained that the investigation remains active as they seek to establish the full network of people who financed, facilitated, planned or participated in the assassination.
The arrival of the latest defendants could also provide prosecutors with additional evidence about how the operation was organized and financed and about the respective roles of those involved.
The allegations against the 18 men have not yet been proven at trial. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until found guilty in court.