Haiti extradites 18 suspects in assassination of president to US

September 21, 2026

Five years after Haitian President Jovenel Moise was murdered at his residence in Port-au-Prince, eighteen suspects have been extradited from Haiti to Florida to face trial for their alleged roles in the assassination. The group includes seventeen former Colombian soldiers who claim they thought they were participating in a coup rather than a murder plot, along with a former senior Haitian government official who worked in an anti-corruption unit. US authorities are handling the prosecution because Haiti's justice system has been crippled by gang violence and lawlessness that has plagued the country since Moise's death.

Who is affected

The eighteen extradited suspects (seventeen Colombian ex-soldiers and Joseph Badio, a former Haitian government official)
The family and legacy of assassinated President Jovenel Moise
The people of Haiti, who have experienced escalating gang violence since the assassination (at least 1,408 killed and 656 injured between April and June of the current year)
Four individuals previously convicted in Miami court in May for their role in the conspiracy
Several men allegedly connected to the murder who were killed by police at the time

What action is being taken

Eighteen suspects are being flown from Haiti to Florida to stand trial
US prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida are pursuing accountability and bringing defendants before American courts
The FBI is conducting multi-location and international arrests of participants in the assassination plot
Thirty suspects have been indicted over the killing so far

Why it matters

This extradition represents a significant milestone in seeking justice for a presidential assassination that destabilized an entire nation and contributed to Haiti's current crisis of gang violence and lawlessness. The case demonstrates the complete breakdown of Haiti's domestic justice system, requiring international intervention to prosecute such a high-profile crime. The assassination's aftermath has been devastating, with Haiti experiencing unprecedented levels of violence and being unable to hold democratic elections since 2016, fundamentally threatening the country's stability and democratic institutions.

What's next

Haiti is preparing to hold its first presidential and legislative election since 2016 on December 13, though this depends on whether the security situation allows it to proceed safely.

Read full article from source: BBC