Eighteen suspects in the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse are flown to Florida to face trial five years on

From the Newshound archive · first published 20 September 2026 · last updated 21 September 2026.

A military plane flew 18 suspects in the 2021 killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse to the United States on Sunday to face trial in Florida, ending a drawn-out judicial process in Haiti. US Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones declared the transfer "the next major phase in our pursuit of accountability," warning prosecutors "are not finished." Moïse was shot dead at his private home above Port-au-Prince in July 2021, leaving Haiti's fragile state in chaos. A total of 30 people have now been indicted in the US over the plot.

In May, four Florida-based men — including alleged masterminds Arcángel Pretel Ortiz and Antonio Intriago — were convicted after a nine-week Miami trial.

Prosecutors allege South Florida was used as a "staging ground" for the plot, with suspects hiring two dozen former Colombian soldiers as mercenaries.

Haiti's own case has stalled for five years due to gang violence, death threats and a crumbling judicial system, with no trial yet held.