In order to advance the legal proceedings related to the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, which occurred on the night of July 6-7, 2021, the Haitian government has decided to strengthen its cooperation with the American judicial authorities. While the American justice system has made significant progress, including arrests, prosecutions, and convictions, the Haitian process continues to face considerable difficulties and has not yet resulted in a single trial after five years of proceedings. Pursuant to the judicial transfer (extradition) mechanisms established between Haiti and the United States, and at the request of the American authorities, the Ministry of Justice in Haiti, acting on the Government's instructions, has authorized the transfer of the individuals concerned, to allow for their trial before American courts with due process and free from any undue influence.

Joseph Félix Badio, a former high-ranking official in Haiti's Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC), considered by investigators to be one of the central figures and operational masterminds of the plot on Haitian soil, along with 17 former Colombian soldiers who were members of the commando that carried out the physical assault on President Jovenel Moïse's private residence on the night of July 6-7, 2021 (https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34162-haiti-flash-president-jovenel-moise-assassinated-by-mercenaries-official-updated-7am-+-video.html), who had been imprisoned in Haiti since July 2021, were transferred (extradited) to the United States aboard a U.S. military plane that landed at Port-au-Prince International Airport on Sunday, September 20, 2026, shortly before 11:00 a.m.

In a message on his official Twitter account, Jason A. Reding Quiñones, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, confirmed the transfer of the defendants and specified that the 18 individuals, all wearing blue jumpsuits when they boarded the plane, were transported by military aircraft from Haiti to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to be tried in U.S. courts [...]" where the investigation has shown that the plot was largely planned and financed.

"Today marks the beginning of a crucial new phase in our pursuit of justice for the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse," the Attorney General stated. "Our work does not end with the men who planned and executed this assassination. We will follow the evidence wherever it leads us, to those who financed, facilitated, supported, or committed crimes to make it possible. Five years later, we continue to bring defendants to trial in U.S. courts, and we are not finished. To date, 30 people have been formally charged for their involvement in the assassination of the Haitian president."

The transfer by the U.S. military aims to bring these suspects before the Southern District Court of Florida, where other accomplices have already been convicted. This operation comes just before the upcoming trial in the United States of Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a Florida resident (scheduled to begin on September 28, 2026), accused of being one of the financial masterminds who sought to replace Jovenel Moïse as president. Due to the legal principle of double jeopardy (non bis in idem), which prohibits trying a person twice for the same offense, the investigating judge's order in Haiti stipulated the cessation of local proceedings against the suspects, who are now in the hands of the U.S. justice system.

List of the 18 detainees extradited to the United States: Joseph Félix Badio; Carlos Giovanni Guerrero Torres; Victor Alberio Pineda Cardona; Juan Carlos Yepes Clavijo; Naiser Franco Castaneda; Angel Mario Yarce Sierra; Jheyner Alberto Carmona Flores; Edwin Enrique Blanquicet Rodriguez; Manuel Antonio Grosso Guarin; Jhon Jairo Ramirez Gomez; Francisco Eladio Uribe Ochoa; Alejandro Giraldo Zapata; Neil Caceres Duran; Jhon Jader Andela; Enalber Vargas Gomez; Jhon Jairo Suarez Alegria; Gersain Mendivelso Jaimes; and Alex Miyer Pena.

Furthermore, the information and evidence that may be gathered during this cooperation could also contribute to further investigations in Haiti, in accordance with the mechanisms established for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.

This decision respects Haiti's prerogatives and interests and reflects the Government's commitment to utilizing all available avenues of cooperation to facilitate the successful conclusion of the trial so that justice may be served for President Jovenel Moïse, his family, and the Haitian people.

SL/¨HaitiLibre