18 extradited to Florida in case of Haiti president’s killing

An elite team of FBI and Homeland Security agents over the weekend extradited 18 men from Haiti to Florida, according to the U.S. Justice Department. The men are accused of participating in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse as part of a failed attempt to seize power. The country has not had a president or held an election since Moïse’s death. 

A southern Florida pastor with dual citizenship in the United States and Haiti is accused of trying to replace Moïse as leader. The extradited defendants include Colombian mercenaries, Florida residents, and a former Haitian government official, according to a released indictment. The DOJ’s claim to authority in the case is based on the allegation that the group used southern Florida as a base for plotting the unsuccessful coup d’état, according to the document.

A total of 30 people have been indicted over Moïse’s assassination, according to the Associated Press. At least nine of them have already pleaded guilty or been convicted in the United States, according to AP. One of the lead figures still awaiting trial is Christian Sanon, a pastor, resident of Florida’s Palm Beach County, and dual Haitian-American citizen. He allegedly planned to replace Moïse as Haiti’s president, according to the court documents.

Dig deeper: Read my recent report on escalating violence in Haiti.