Suspects in 2021 killing of Haitian president flown to US to face trial - Reuters

Eighteen individuals accused of involvement in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse were transferred from Haiti to the United States on a military aircraft on Sunday. The transport was confirmed by the U.S. District Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason Reding Quiñones, who said the suspects were flown out of Port‑au‑Prince and arrived in the United States to face criminal charges.

The suspects are alleged to have participated in a transnational plot to kill President Moïse, a scheme that prosecutors say was coordinated from U.S. soil. Federal authorities have charged the men with conspiracy, murder‑for‑hire and related offenses, asserting that the operation involved both Haitian and foreign actors.

The case will be heard in a federal court in Florida, where the Department of Justice has indicated that the trial will proceed under U.S. law. The decision to try the suspects in the United States reflects the alleged cross‑border nature of the conspiracy and the involvement of U.S. citizens and resources in planning the attack.

U.S. officials have not disclosed the identities or nationalities of all the extradited individuals, but the group includes both Haitian nationals and foreign citizens. The extradition follows a series of investigations that began shortly after President Moïse was shot at his private residence in Port‑au‑Prince in July 2021.

The transfer of the suspects marks a significant development in the ongoing effort to bring those responsible for the Haitian leader’s death to justice, and it underscores the international dimension of the case as it moves forward in the U.S. federal court system.