Florida Jury Convicts Four Men of Conspiracy in 2021 Killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse

A Florida jury on Friday convicted four men of conspiracy in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. S. Neutrality Act.

The four men could face possible life sentences. South Florida served as a central location for planning and financing the plot. Ortiz and Intriago were principals of Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy and Counter Terrorist Unit Security, collectively known as CTU.

Walter Veintemilla was a principal of Worldwide Capital Lending Group. Both companies were based in South Florida. James Solages was a CTU representative in Haiti who coordinated with Christian Sanon and others, officials said.

Christian Sanon, a dual Haitian-American citizen, was initially favored by the conspirators to replace Moïse, according to investigators. Sanon will face trial at a later date. Moïse was killed on July 7, 2021.

Approximately two dozen foreign mercenaries, mostly from Colombia, attacked Moïse’s home near Port-au-Prince that night. The president was 53 years old at the time of his death. S.

For treatment. She was the first witness at the trial, which began in March in Miami’s federal court. Martine Moïse testified that she awoke to the sounds of gunfire after midnight. She told jurors that she turned to her husband in bed and asked what was going on.

“Honey, we are dead,” Jovenel Moïse replied, according to his wife’s testimony. At least five others have pleaded guilty in the conspiracy and are serving life sentences. Separately, 20 people including 17 Colombian soldiers face charges in Haiti.

Defense attorneys argued at trial that the investigation was flawed and that the four men believed they were acting on a legitimate warrant to remove a president who had overstayed his term. S. prosecution that unfolded more than four years after the predawn raid outside Port-au-Prince.

Prosecutors presented evidence that the South Florida-based companies and their leaders helped recruit, equip and finance the mercenaries who carried out the assault. The verdict leaves unresolved questions about who ordered the killing, as Haitian authorities have struggled to advance their own case amid gang violence, death threats and a crumbling judicial system.