Four Men Convicted in Miami of Conspiring in 2021 Killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse

A US federal court jury in Miami convicted four men on May 8, 2026 of conspiring to kill or kidnap Haitian President Jovenel Moise. Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla and James Solages were also found guilty of providing material support for the plot in violation of US law as well as conspiracy to provide material support and violating the US Neutrality Act to engage in an illicit military operation abroad.

All four convicted men face possible life sentences.

Sentencing for the four men was scheduled for a later date. The trial began nearly two months before May 8, 2026. US prosecutors said that south Florida served as a central hub for planning and funding the 2021 assassination of Jovenel Moise.

The four convicted men are linked to CTU, a private security firm based in Florida. Three of the convicted men – Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago and Walter Veintemilla – were arrested in 2023 in Florida. James Solages was apprehended in Haiti and extradited to the United States in 2023.

A fifth defendant, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a Haitian-born doctor, is set to be tried at a later date due to health issues. Christian Emmanuel Sanon allegedly wanted to be named president after Moise was killed. Eight other individuals accepted plea deals as part of the US investigation.

Eleven people have been indicted in connection with the assassination in US courts. Five people have been sentenced to life in prison in connection with the assassination, including a former Colombian soldier, a former Haitian senator, a Haitian Chilean businessman, a retired Colombian soldier and a Haitian American.

Jovenel Moise was gunned down on July 7, 2021 at his private residence by about 20 military-trained Colombian mercenaries.

Moise's security detail did not intervene to protect him. Haitian police rounded up about 40 suspects, including the Colombians, after the murder. No national elections have been held in Haiti since Moise’s assassination in 2021.

A provisional council was appointed in September 2024 to organise new polls in Haiti. The provisional council was replaced by US-backed Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime. Alix Didier Fils-Aime has said elections will be held by the end of the year.

At least 8,100 gang killings were documented in Haiti in 2025 according to the UN. 5 million people in Haiti according to the UN. Gangs control around 80% of Port-au-Prince.