Jovenel Moïse
Jovenel Moïse (; ; 26 June 1968 – 7 July 2021) was a Haitian entrepreneur and politician, who served as the 43rd President of Haiti from 2017 until his assassination in 2021. He was sworn in as president in February 2017 after winning the ...
, the
president of Haiti
The president of Haiti ( ht, Prezidan peyi Ayiti, french: Président d'Haïti), officially called the president of the Republic of Haiti (french: link=no, Président de la République d'Haïti, ht, link=no, Prezidan Repiblik Ayiti), is the head ...
, was assassinated on 7 July 2021 at 1 a.m.
EDT (UTC−04:00) at his residence. A group of 28 foreign mercenaries, mostly Colombians, are alleged to be responsible for the killing.
First Lady
First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state fo ...
Martine Moïse
Martine Marie Étienne Moïse (née Joseph; born 5 June 1974) is the former First Lady of Haiti and the widow of President Jovenel Moïse. She served as the country's first lady from February 2017 until the assassination of her husband on 7 Ju ...
was also shot multiple times in the attack, and was airlifted to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
for emergency treatment. Later in the day, USGPN (L'Unité de Sécurité Générale du Palais National, or The General Security Unit of the National Palace, headed by Dimitri Herard) killed three of the suspected assassins and arrested 20 more. A
manhunt
Manhunt may refer to:
Search processes
* Manhunt (law enforcement), a search for a dangerous fugitive
* Manhunt (military), a search for a high-value target by special operations forces or intelligence agencies
Social organisations
* Manhun ...
is ongoing for other gunmen as well as the masterminds of the attack.
Haitian chief prosecutor Bedford Claude confirmed plans to question Moïse's top
bodyguard
A bodyguard (or close protection officer/operative) is a type of security guard, government law enforcement officer, or servicemember who protects a person or a group of people — usually witnesses, high-ranking public officials or officers, w ...
s; none of the president's security guards were killed or injured in the attack.
Background
Election
Jovenel Moïse
Jovenel Moïse (; ; 26 June 1968 – 7 July 2021) was a Haitian entrepreneur and politician, who served as the 43rd President of Haiti from 2017 until his assassination in 2021. He was sworn in as president in February 2017 after winning the ...
was the chosen successor to President
Michel Martelly
Michel Joseph Martelly (; born 12 February 1961) is a Haitian musician and politician who was the President of Haiti from May 2011 until February 2016. He was sanctioned by the Canadian Government for his involvement in human rights violations ...
,
who was constitutionally barred from seeking reelection in the
2015 presidential election. According to official results, Moïse received 33% of ballots cast in the first round, more than any other candidate but short of the majority required to avoid a second
run-off election
The two-round system (TRS), also known as runoff voting, second ballot, or ballotage, is a voting method used to elect a single candidate, where voters cast a single vote for their preferred candidate. It generally ensures a majoritarian resul ...
. These results were disputed by second-place finisher
Jude Célestin
Jude Célestin (born June 19, 1962 in Port-au-Prince) is a Haitian politician who was one of two presidential candidates heading off to the second round in the 2015 presidential election race. After an education in Port-au-Prince, Célestin stud ...
and others, whose supporters protested. The mandated run-off was repeatedly delayed, prompting further violent protests. The 2015 election results were eventually annulled.
When incumbent Martelly's term expired, the legislature
appointed Jocelerme Privert
Jocelerme Privert (; born 1 February 1953) is a Haitian accountant and bureaucrat who served as the interim President of Haiti from 2016 to 2017.
Political career
Early political career
A longtime politician, he first served as the economics ...
as interim President before
fresh elections in November 2016. In these elections, Moïse received 56% of the official tally, enough to avoid a run-off.
Moïse assumed office on 7 February 2017.
Political turmoil
During Moïse's time in office, political unrest and violence were common, including violent anti-government protests. The span of Moïse's term in office was disputed, sparking a
constitutional crisis
In political science, a constitutional crisis is a problem or conflict in the function of a government that the political constitution or other fundamental governing law is perceived to be unable to resolve. There are several variations to this d ...
. Presidential terms in Haiti are five years, and Moïse claimed a mandate to govern until February 2022, five years after his taking office. However, opposition figures claimed Moïse's mandate ended in February 2021, five years after the victor of the
2015 presidential election would have been sworn in under normal circumstances. Widespread protests demanded Moïse's resignation, and the opposition named Judge
Joseph Mécène Jean-Louis as a proposed interim president in February 2021. Moïse received support from the United States government and the
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States (OAS; es, Organización de los Estados Americanos, pt, Organização dos Estados Americanos, french: Organisation des États américains; ''OEA'') is an international organization that was founded on 30 April ...
(OAS) to remain in office until 2022.
Scheduled legislative elections in October 2019, as well as a
referendum for a new constitution, were delayed until September 2021, which resulted in Moïse
ruling by decree.
Moïse said he foiled a
coup attempt to kill him and overthrow the government in February 2021; at least 23 people were arrested. Moïse appointed seven different prime ministers during his time in office, the last of whom was
Ariel Henry
Ariel Henry (; born 6 November 1949) is a Haitian neurosurgeon and politician who has served as the acting prime minister of Haiti and the acting president of Haiti since 20 July 2021. He later became involved in a controversy due to his refusa ...
, who was appointed on 5 July 2021, but had not been sworn in by the time of the attack.
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' revealed that before his death, Moïse had been working to expose the corrupt politicians and businesspeople who were involved in the
illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...
, by passing on the information to the United States. The most significant among these people was Charles Saint-Rémy, a businessman and brother-in-law of former Haitian President
Michel Martelly
Michel Joseph Martelly (; born 12 February 1961) is a Haitian musician and politician who was the President of Haiti from May 2011 until February 2016. He was sanctioned by the Canadian Government for his involvement in human rights violations ...
. Moïse had also been seeking to end the
state capture
State capture is a type of systemic political corruption in which private interests significantly influence a state's decision-making processes to their own advantage.
The term was first used by the World Bank, around the year 2000, to describe ...
by affluent individuals, including Martelly's family. After the apparent coup attempt was prevented in 2021 by Dimitri Hérard, the head of the presidential guard, Moïse accused Haiti's elite of being behind it and privately started planning to have them exposed.
Planning
According to the head of the
National Police of Colombia
The National Police of Colombia (Spanish: ''Policía Nacional de Colombia'') is the national police force of the Republic of Colombia. Although the National Police is not part of the Military Forces of Colombia (Army, Navy, and Air Force), it c ...
, General
Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia, the
Colombian attackers were recruited by four companies. He stated that monetary motivation seems to be the only reason behind the attackers agreeing to do the job.
The Florida-based company Worldwide Investment Development Group was identified as being the company that raised money for the assassination.
Its owner had met with Emmanuel Sanon, a 63-year-old Haitian American and self-described pastor and physician, in May 2021 at a meeting that discussed the likelihood of political upheaval in Haiti, who apparently saw himself as a potential future leader for the country. He agreed to extend loans to him, purportedly for his security during the envisioned Haitian revolution. A large portion of the funds went to a
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
-based security company called CTU Security for the hiring of Colombian mercenaries.
President of Colombia
The president of Colombia ( es, Presidente de Colombia), officially known as the president of the Republic of Colombia ( es, Presidente de la República de Colombia) or president of the nation ( es, Presidente de la Nacion) is the head of stat ...
Iván Duque Márquez
Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was Bulgari ...
said that most of the Colombians went to Haiti under the impression that they were to work as bodyguards, but a few others were aware of the actual plan.
Parnell Duverger, a retired
adjunct professor
An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and
the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, however the genera ...
who taught economics at
Broward College
Broward College is a public college in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It is part of the Florida College System. It was established in 1959 as part of a move to broaden Florida's two-year colleges. In 2008 it adopted its current name, reflecting that ...
, has stated that he had attended around 10 meetings with the accused to plan Haiti's future after Moïse's resignation. These meetings were conducted in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
and the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
months before the assassination. At no point, according to Duverger, was a coup or murder planned. It was assumed that Sanon was eventually going to become the
Prime Minister of Haiti
The prime minister of Haiti ( French: , ht, Premye Minis Ayiti) is the head of government of Haiti. The office was created under the 1987 Constitution; previously, all executive power was held by the president or head of state, who appointed and ...
. Another participant, Frantz Gilot, who is a consultant for the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
, has also denied that there was a plan to kill the President.
According to an investigation carried out by ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'', CTU hired a Colombian veteran named Duberney Capador to recruit other former soldiers, which he accomplished through
WhatsApp
WhatsApp (also called WhatsApp Messenger) is an internationally available freeware, cross-platform, centralized instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by American company Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). It allows us ...
, promising them a monthly salary of $3,000 to protect Haiti's elite politicians. Capador claimed that CTU had the support of the
United States State Department
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...
, while they would take part in urban combat and live in "threadbare accommodations". However, there was no mention of a plan to kill or overthrow Moïse.
CTU used its company credit card to buy 19 plane tickets for the suspected assailants, for flights from
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
's capital
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
to the Dominican Republic's capital
Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional)
, websi ...
. According to Valencia, two of the Colombian suspects flew to the Dominican Republic's capital
Santo Domingo
, total_type = Total
, population_density_km2 = auto
, timezone = AST (UTC −4)
, area_code_type = Area codes
, area_code = 809, 829, 849
, postal_code_type = Postal codes
, postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional)
, websi ...
from
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
's capital
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
, via
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
, on 6 May 2021. They arrived in
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
, Haiti, on 10 May by taking another flight.
A further 11 Colombian suspects took a flight to the
resort town
A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...
of
Punta Cana
Punta Cana is a resort town in the easternmost region of the Dominican Republic. It is part of the Veron–Punta Cana Municipalities of the Dominican Republic, municipal district, in the Salvaleón de Higüey, Higüey municipality of La Altagraci ...
, in the Dominican Republic, from Bogotá, on 4 June 2021. They crossed into Haiti on 7 June through the Carrizal border crossing.
The mercenaries were later told they would be guarding Moïse himself. On 22 June, the men met with the owner of CTU and were told that they would help lift Haiti out of poverty by increasing security in the country, which would attract investors.
A judge who interviewed the two
Haitian-American
Haitian Americans (french: Haïtiens-Américains; ht, ayisyen ameriken) are a group of Americans of full or partial Haitian origin or descent. The largest proportion of Haitians in the United States live in Little Haiti to the South Florida area ...
suspects, one of whom said he had been in Haiti for one month prior to the attack and the other of whom said he had been in Haiti for six months, said that the plot had been planned intensively for a month at a high-end hotel in
Pétion-Ville
Pétion-Ville ( ht, Petyonvil) is a commune and a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in the hills east and separate from the city itself on the northern hills of the Massif de la Selle. Founded in 1831 by president Jean-Pierre Boyer, it was named af ...
.
Haitian National Police
The Haitian National Police (PNH; french: Police Nationale d'Haïti, , National Police of Haiti) is the law enforcement and ''de facto'' police force of Haiti. It was created in 1995 to bring public security under civilian control as mandated i ...
Chief
Léon Charles said that Sanon had arrived in Haiti in June via a plane and had contacted two other people behind the plot. The attackers were initially contracted to guard him, but later were tasked with executing an
arrest warrant
An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state, which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual, or the search and seizure of an individual's property.
Canada
Arrest warrants are issued by a j ...
against President Moïse, so that he could be legally replaced as president.
Charles added that he had recruited some of the attackers through CTU Security, and 22 more were recruited later.
According to Charles, one of the suspects, Joseph Felix Badio, who is a former employee of the Haitian government, had assisted the attackers by renting a home to them near President Moïse's home. Reynaldo Corvington, who is the owner of the Haitian security company "Corvington Courier & Security Service", had provided them with lodgings and
sirens
Siren or sirens may refer to:
Common meanings
* Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies
* Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology
Places
* Siren (town), Wisconsin
* Siren, Wisco ...
for their cars with the help of one of the assailants.
Former Haitian Senator
John Joël Joseph was also stated by Charles to be a mastermind of the plot, furnishing the attackers with weapons and organizing meetings.
According to the complaint filed by the
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
, the suspects had been training in Haiti for several weeks, according to interviews with them and images from electronic devices.
The suspects have also stated that they originally only planned to kidnap Moïse two weeks before the assassination when he returned from
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, but were forced to call it off as they did not receive the signal to carry it out. They also planned to have
Fantom 509, a gang consisting of disgruntled former police officers, kidnap Moïse, but later decided against it.
One of the arrested suspects stated that they planned to capture him at the
Toussaint Louverture International Airport
Toussaint Louverture International Airport ( ht, Ayewopò Entènasyonal Tousen Louvèti, french: Aéroport International Toussaint Louverture) is an international airport in Tabarre, a commune of Port-au-Prince in Haiti. The airport is current ...
and flee Haiti with him, but had to cancel the operation as they were unable to charter a private plane. He was however told on 6 July that the plan had changed and they were to kill Moïse instead.
Per leaked audio confessions obtained by ''
Noticias Caracol
''Noticias Caracol'' (until 9 October 2007 ''Caracol Noticias'') is the name for all the national newscast from the news division of Caracol Televisión which carries the same name. It is broadcast four times on weekdays and twice on weekends. In ...
'', the suspected assailants admitted their involvement to the Haitian police: that shortly before the operation, they had been ordered by one of the masterminds to kill Moïse and everyone in his home, and had also been told to loot the money stashed there. They were also told to flee to the Presidential Palace, where the new President of Haiti would be sworn in, and that they thought the police would protect them. According to information retrieved by ''The New York Times'', some of the suspects also stated that retrieving Moïse's list, which contained names of the corrupt elite involved in the drug trade, was a main objective of theirs.
Haitian businessman
Rodolphe Jaar in an interview with ''The New York Times'' admitted to planning and financing the plot, but stated that he believed that the goal was to only remove Moïse from power. Jaar stated that he became involved because he thought that Moïse was authoritarian, and agreed to join after being told that it was being supported by the United States which wanted Moïse gone due to his links with terrorists and drug traffickers. He added that he provided $130,000 for the plot, procured guns, and provided a safehouse for the Colombians. Jaar stated that he had discussed with a leader of the Fantom 509 about assaulting Moïse's residence, but the gang refused to participate about a week before the assassination, and the Colombians were then told that their mission had changed to storming Moïse's residence.
Per the FBI affidavit, Jaar met a co-conspirator before the assassination and planned along with others to have Moïse arrested upon his return from Turkey in mid-June per witness statements. After that plot failed, the other conspirator traveled from Haiti to Miami on June 28 to request assistance in targeting Moïse. The ''
Miami Herald
The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by the McClatchy Company and headquartered in Doral, Florida, a List of communities in Miami-Dade County, Florida, city in western Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County and the M ...
'' stated that he also informed CTU about it. The affidavit adds that by this point, some conspirators were aware that the actual objective was to kill Moïse.
Assassination
Former Prime Minister
Laurent Lamothe
Laurent Salvador Lamothe (born 14 August 1972) is a Haitian businessman, technology entrepreneur, and political figure who has served in the government of Haiti as Foreign Minister since October 2011, then appointed as Prime Minister on 4 May 20 ...
said there are often 100 officers from the presidential guard around the president's home.
Neighbors and acquaintances have however stated that Moïse only had a few guards around his home on most days. According to a Haitian National Police investigation report, only six were guarding the residence during the time of the assassination. According to the report two of the guards had acted as informants and the rest showed no resistance at all.
On 7 July 2021, at around 1:00 a.m. local time, a group of gunmen stormed Moïse's home in Pèlerin 5, a district of the upmarket
Pétion-Ville
Pétion-Ville ( ht, Petyonvil) is a commune and a suburb of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in the hills east and separate from the city itself on the northern hills of the Massif de la Selle. Founded in 1831 by president Jean-Pierre Boyer, it was named af ...
quarter of
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
. Seven of the assailants were involved in killing the President and four (called the "Delta team") personally entered his bedroom, but the rest stayed outside according to General
Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia, chief of the
National Police of Colombia
The National Police of Colombia (Spanish: ''Policía Nacional de Colombia'') is the national police force of the Republic of Colombia. Although the National Police is not part of the Military Forces of Colombia (Army, Navy, and Air Force), it c ...
.
All of the team leaders were carrying a
Samsung Galaxy
Samsung Galaxy (, stylised as SΛMSUNG Galaxy since 2015 (except Japan where it omits the Samsung branding), previously stylised as Samsung GALAXY; abbreviated as SG) is a series of computing and mobile computing devices that are designed, ...
smartphone to take images of his corpse and send it as evidence to the orchestrators of the assassination.
Moïse called several police officials for help after discovering the attackers, but none of them arrived in time.
They later started shooting in his office and bedroom, and then ransacked the two rooms. Moïse was severely beaten before he was shot multiple times, killing him at the scene.
He was shot with 12 bullets in his chest, arms, right leg, and left hip, and had a shattered left eye.
The house was riddled with
9mm and
5.56mm bullets.
First Lady Martine Moïse was also shot multiple times in the attack, suffering gunshot wounds in her arms and thighs, in addition to severe injuries to her hands and abdomen.
Martine stated that the attackers also ransacked his room, searching his files, before attacking her, and left after thinking she was dead. Some of the suspects later admitted that the document they had stolen was the list containing names of corrupt individuals involved in drug trafficking.
According to the Haitian police, the suspects also robbed the money stored in Moïse's home. The couple's daughter was in the house during the attack.
She hid in the bathroom of her younger brother's bedroom and escaped unharmed, while two maids and a guard were tied up by the attackers but were not shot.
A video taken by residents living near the site of the attack contains the voice of one man, speaking in English, who claimed over a megaphone during the attack to be a member of the U.S.
Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA; ) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating drug trafficking and distribution within th ...
; however, the assailants did not belong to the agency. Interim prime minister
Claude Joseph
Claude Joseph () is a Haitian politician who served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship from 4 March 2020 to 24 November 2021, and served as acting Prime Minister of Haiti from 14 April 2021 to 20 July 2021, and acting President of Hai ...
said later that the attackers carried military rifles, and spoke both English and Spanish.
According to those who filmed the attack, the assailants disarmed Moïse's security.
Neighbors of Moïse said they heard heavy machine gun fire shortly after the attack. Residents reported hearing weapons fire, and "seeing men dressed like commandos in black running through the neighborhoods". Grenades were also dropped from drones during the attack.
A press release issued later that day from the office of interim Prime Minister Joseph blamed the attack on "a group of unidentified individuals". A high-ranking Haitian government official described the attackers as "mercenaries".
Manhunt
Manhunt, gun battle, and arrests
The
Haitian National Police
The Haitian National Police (PNH; french: Police Nationale d'Haïti, , National Police of Haiti) is the law enforcement and ''de facto'' police force of Haiti. It was created in 1995 to bring public security under civilian control as mandated i ...
engaged the alleged assassins after they left Moïse's residence.
Helen La Lime
Helen Ruth Meagher La Lime (born 1951) is a diplomat, former United States Ambassador to Angola, and United Nations Special Representative in Haiti.
Early life and education
Born Helen R. Meagher, she is one of three daughters of Ray Meagher, ...
, the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
Special Representative
Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seating ...
in Haiti, said that some of the gunmen holed up in two buildings in
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
.
Police chief Léon Charles said later in the day that the police were still engaged in battle with the gunmen. Three policemen were taken as hostages, but later rescued, after police surrounded a house where some of the suspects were hiding.
A shootout between the gunmen and police erupted. Three Colombian men were killed during the gunfight with the police. 18 more Colombians and two Haitian-Americans were arrested.
Angry civilians joined the search for the assailants, and helped police track down some of them who were hiding in bushes. Other civilians set fire to three of the suspects' cars, resulting in the destruction of evidence, with the police chief calling for calm.
Eleven of the suspects broke into
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
's embassy courtyard in Pétion-Ville, not far from the president's residence, on 8 July 2021, and Haitian police (who were allowed access to the building after Taiwan waived
extraterritoriality
In international law, extraterritoriality is the state of being exempted from the jurisdiction of local law, usually as the result of diplomatic negotiations.
Historically, this primarily applied to individuals, as jurisdiction was usually cla ...
) arrested them without encountering any resistance.
The remaining five suspected attackers went on the run.
One of them named Mario Antonio Palacios was later arrested in Jamaica in October 2021. He was arrested by authorities of
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
on 3 January 2022 after being deported from Jamaica and transferred to the custody of the United States.
A
manhunt
Manhunt may refer to:
Search processes
* Manhunt (law enforcement), a search for a dangerous fugitive
* Manhunt (military), a search for a high-value target by special operations forces or intelligence agencies
Social organisations
* Manhun ...
is also ongoing to arrest the people who orchestrated the attack.
As of 30 July, 44 suspects had been arrested, including 18 Colombians, three Haitian-Americans, 12 Haitian police officers, and six other Haitian civilians. A Haitian businessman, Samir Handal, was arrested in November 2021 by Turkey in relation with the case. He was arrested over renting an office to one of the masterminds and accused of participating in meetings of "political character". The 37th High Criminal Court of
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
however rejected extraditing him to Haiti on 4 July 2022, ruling that the reasons for it were not sufficient.
On 8 January 2022, the businessman
Rodolphe Jaar was arrested as a suspect in the case while entering the Dominican Republic, after the US requested it. On 14 January,
John Joël Joseph, a former senator and political opponent of Moïse, was arrested by the
Jamaica Constabulary Force
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) is the official police force of Jamaica.
Role
The force is the arm of the Ministry which is responsible for the maintenance of law and order, the prevention and detection of crime, the investigation of all ...
in Jamaica as one of the prominent suspects for Moïse's assassination. His family members were also arrested alongside him. A former police officer, who was part of the security team guarding Moïse on the day of assassination, was arrested in the Dominician Republic and handed over to Haiti on March 2.
Suspects
Those who orchestrated the assassination and their motives are unknown. The gunmen accused of being those who killed Moïse were identified as 28 foreigners, of whom 26 were
Colombians
Colombians ( es, Colombianos) are people identified with the country of Colombia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Colombians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the sourc ...
and two
Americans of Haitian descent.
Three of the Colombians were killed by the police in a shootout. Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph described the suspects as highly trained and heavily armed foreign mercenaries, a description that was corroborated by the
Haitian Ambassador to the United States
The ambassador of Haiti to the United States is the chief diplomatic representative of the government of the Republic of Haiti to the government of the United States. The ambassador's office is located at the Embassy of Haiti in Washington, D.C ...
Bocchit Edmond. The group members spoke in both Spanish and English.
At least 21 suspected assailants are known to be former servicemen of the
National Army of Colombia
The National Army of Colombia ( es, Ejército Nacional de Colombia) is the land warfare service branch of the Military Forces of Colombia. With over 361,420 active personnel as of 2020, it is the largest and oldest service branch in Colombia, an ...
. Most of the soldiers had retired before the
COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
The COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia is part of the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The virus was confirmed to have reached Colombia on 6 March 2020.
Up to January 2022, fo ...
.
According to the
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
, some of them had taken part in military training and education programs organized by the United States in the past.
The two arrested Haitian-Americans
were identified as being from
South Florida
South Florida is the southernmost region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is one of Florida's three most commonly referred to directional regions; the other two are Central Florida and North Florida. South Florida is the southernmost part of th ...
. While they were in custody, they reported to authorities that they found Moïse already dead when the group arrived at his home. Both of them said that they were only acting as translators, and that originally the action was planned to "arrest", not kill, the president. One of them was later confirmed to be an occasional informant for the DEA by the agency on 13 July.
Haitian police said on 11 July that they had arrested one of the suspected masterminds, a Haitian named Emmanuel Sanon, who was based in Florida as a doctor. The authorities accused him of hiring mercenaries to oust and replace Moïse.
On 14 July, the Haitian National Police announced the arrest of
Gilbert Dragon, a leader of the former
National Revolutionary Front for the Liberation and Reconstruction of Haiti rebel group which had taken part in the
2004 Haitian coup d'état
A coup d'état in Haiti on 29 February 2004, following several weeks of conflict, resulted in the removal of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from office. On 5 February 2004, a rebel group, called the National Revolutionary Front for the Liber ...
. Reynaldo Corvington, who owns the private security company called "Corvington Courier & Security Service", was also detained. The police meanwhile sought former senator
John Joël Joseph and the
Venezuelan
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
owner of the Florida-based CTU Security as suspects. One of the suspects being sought is Joseph Felix Badio, a former employee of the
Ministry of Justice and Public Security
The Royal Ministry of Justice and Public Security ( no, Det kongelige justis- og beredskapsdepartement) is a Norwegian government ministry that oversees justice, the police, and domestic intelligence. The main purpose of the ministry is to provide ...
and the government's anti-corruption department who was fired in May 2013 for breaking its ethics rules.
Another of the suspects is businessman and drug trafficker Rodolphe Jaar, who was a former DEA informant and was jailed in 2013 by the United States for stealing drugs which were meant to be seized by the DEA. He had attended a meeting with other suspects and Corvington regarding the mission on June 8. He holds dual nationality, being a citizen of Haiti and Chile.
An arrest warrant was issued against
Wendelle Coq Thélot, a former judge of the
Court of Cassation
A court of cassation is a high-instance court that exists in some judicial systems. Courts of cassation do not re-examine the facts of a case, they only interpret the relevant law. In this they are appellate courts of the highest instance. In th ...
, on 23 July, on charges of murder and armed robbery in relation to the assassination. She had been fired by Moïse in February 2021. The Haitian National Police spokesperson, General
Marie Michelle Verrier, stated on 30 July that the Colombian and Haitian-American suspects had told the police that they had been to Thélot's home twice and also gave details of agreements that were signed there.
Investigation
Haiti's
chief prosecutor
A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal tria ...
Bedford Claude confirmed plans to bring Moïse's top bodyguards in for questioning, including Jean Laguel Civil, the head of the presidential guard, and Dimitri Hérard, the presidential palace's head of security.
The independent
Haitian Center for Analysis and Research on Human Rights questioned how the attackers gained entry to the president's bedroom and carried out their attack without killing or injuring any member of the presidential guard.
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
reporter John Otis said, "none of the president's security guards were killed or injured in the attack, and that's a little suspicious... whatever the Colombians were up to, Haitian officials are saying that they definitely were not the masterminds of this assassination." Opposition Senator and 2015 presidential candidate
Steven Benoît blamed the president's security detail for the attack, saying the president "was assassinated by his security agents. It wasn’t the Colombians."
The Haitian National Police on 14 July identified one of the suspects as the owner of the CTU Security company in Florida, adding that he had signed a contract in Haiti but gave no further details, stating that the investigation was in advanced stages. Homes of two suspects, one of them being former rebel leader
Gilbert Dragon, were also searched, leading to the discovery of many weapons. Three other suspects are also being sought, including one who allegedly provided houses and sirens, to the assassins, and former senator John Joël Joseph.
One of the suspects, Joseph Felix Badio, who is a former government employee, was blamed by the Colombian National Police chief General Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia for having ordered two of the suspected assailants to kill Moïse several days before the operation.
Meanwhile, police have also arrested five officials who were part of the president's security in connection with the assassination.
One of those arrested includes Dimitri Hérard, the chief of the General Security Unit of the National Palace, which is responsible for guarding the President's residence. 24 police officers who protected Moïse were also being questioned.
Colombian media said Hérard allegedly visited Colombia a few weeks before the assassination, and the
Center for Economic and Policy Research
The Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) is a progressive American think tank that specializes in economic policy. Based in Washington, D.C. CEPR was co-founded by economists Dean Baker and Mark Weisbrot in 1999.
Considered a left-lea ...
reported he is being investigated by US law enforcement for links to arms trafficking. Between January and May 2021, he made 7 trips from and to Colombia, Dominican Republic and
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
. He had allegedly used an Ecuadorian identification document to travel from and to Haiti. On 22 July 2021, the
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso
Guillermo Alberto Santiago Lasso Mendoza (; born 16 November 1955) is an Ecuadorian businessman, banker, writer and politician who has served as the 47th president of Ecuador since 24 May 2021. He is the country's first centre-right president i ...
confirmed Hérard had access to an Ecuadorian identity card due to his scholarship at the .
The Haitian police also arrested Jean Laguel Civil on 26 July. On 3 August, Haiti's government requested help from the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
to conduct an international investigation into the assassination. Haitian officials investigating the cases meanwhile reported that they were receiving death threats and were forced to go into hiding, after the authorities ignored their requests for protection. They also accused the police of procedural violations. Judge Mathieu Chanlatte who was investigating the case withdrew from it on 13 August citing personal reasons. The withdrawal came a day after one of his assistants had mysteriously died.
Claude invited Prime Minister
Ariel Henry
Ariel Henry (; born 6 November 1949) is a Haitian neurosurgeon and politician who has served as the acting prime minister of Haiti and the acting president of Haiti since 20 July 2021. He later became involved in a controversy due to his refusa ...
for an interview on 10 September, stating that shortly after the assassination, Henry had spoken with Joseph Felix Badio, a mastermind of the assassination, twice. The calls were made at 4:07 a.m. and 4:20 a.m. Henry however rejected granting permission for the interview. As a result, Claude requested to the judge investigating the case that charges be filed against Henry and ordered that he be barred from leaving Haiti.
The Prime Minister fired Claude and replaced him with
Frantz Louis Juste, but he remained in his position while a source told
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
that Henry did not have the authority to fire the prosecutor. On 16 September, Henry's office stated that many people had called him to inquire about his safety after the assassination and they could not identify every caller, while rejecting the suspicions raised against him.
According to the Haitian National Police investigative report obtained by the ''Miami Herald'' in late September 2021, Dragon was in contact with one of the police officers who was guarding Moïse and acting as an informant for the masterminds of the attack. The report also accuses him of designing DEA tags for the assailants. Meanwhile, Hérard was stated to have known three of the suspects and acted as an informant, while supplying the attackers with weapons according to the arrested suspects. Civil was stated to have bribed 80 of Moïse's guards with $80,000 according to the suspects. One of the people called by Badio about 290 times, including during the night of the assassination when the former was in Pétion-Ville, was also in contact with Jaar 203 times during the same time period.
An investigative report published by ''The New York Times'' in January 2022 stated that Prime Minister Henry had links with Badio and the two stayed in close contact even after the assassination. Two Haitian officials told the newspaper that Badio entered Henry's residence twice without being impeded by the guards, despite being wanted. Another of the prime suspects, Rodolphe Jaar, while admitting to having financed and planned the assassination, stated that Badio had described Henry as someone he could count on as an ally and could control after overthrowing Moïse. Jaar claimed that Badio had sought Henry's help in escaping, to which he agreed. He also stated that they planned to make Wendelle Coq-Thélot the new president and that Badio had sought the help of police chief
in procuring weapons. Elbé however refused stating that he did not have the weapons, but did not try to stop the plot.
Chanlatte's replacement Garry Orélien stepped down from the case on 21 January citing personal reasons. His resignation came after allegations of corruption against him. On 8 February, a recording of Orélien was obtained by
, in which Orélien stated that Henry had a role in planning the assassination of Moïse and was friends with the masterminds. This claim was also backed by multiple Haitian law enforcement officials who had investigated the assassination as well, and who also told CNN that Henry was obstructing the investigation. When contacted by CNN, Orélien stated that he did not remember discussing the case with anyone in great detail, stating that "lots of people" were trying to influence it and that he would "not play their game." Later in an interview with ''
'', he denied accusing Henry while claiming that the CNN report intended to murder his career and force him to go into exile or be killed.
Chavannes Étienne was appointed as the replacement for Orélien in early February, but he stated that he had not decided whether he would accept to take over the case due to risks to his life. He tendered his resignation on 11 February. Merlan Belabre was appointed to take over the investigation on 3 March. He decided to step down after his mandate expired on 25 April. Walther Wesser Voltaire was later appointed to oversee the investigation on 31 May. He stepped down in September 2022 after his mandate expired.
Mario Antonio Palacios, a 43-year-old Colombian ex-military commando, was arrested in October 2021 for illegally entering Jamaica and was supposed to be deported to Colombia in January 2022. While on a layover in Panama, Palacios agreed to cooperate with federal authorities travel voluntarily to the United States, which had an
against him, instead of travelling back to Colombia. He appeared in a court in Miami on 4 January 2022 and was charged by the
to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States and providing material support resulting in death, knowing that such support would be used to carry out the conspiracy to kill or kidnap." He was the first suspect to be charged by American authorities.
Palacios was part of the "Delta Team", a five-man group of former Colombian military officers that entered Moïse's residence to gun him down. He was the only one who managed to evade authorities and escape. His companions are in Haitian custody and have yet to be charged.
American law is being applied in the case of the assassination since part of the planning happened in the United States.
Rodolphe Jaar, one of the prime suspects in the assassination, agreed to cooperate and travel voluntarily to the United States on 19 January after being arrested in the Dominican Republic. He was charged by a court in Miami on the following day with "conspiring to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States and providing material support resulting in death, knowing or intending that such material support would be used to prepare for or carry out the conspiracy to kill or kidnap." According to the complaint, he provided housing for 20 of the Colombians involved in the assassination. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
He was also accused of providing weapons to the assailants, being present when another suspect obtained signatures of a former judge for a request for assistance in arresting and imprisoning Moïse, meeting with a co-conspirator and helping his co-conspirators hide after the assassination.
was extradited to the US on 6 May and charged with "conspiring to commit murder or kidnapping", as well as providing material support which resulted in Moïse's assassination, on 9 May. The prosecutors accused him of acquiring cars and attempting to procure weapons for the assailants, meeting with co-conspirators a day before the assassination and being fiercely dedicated to eliminating Moïse.
was closed on 7 July, with planes sent back to their origins.
in Florida, where she arrived at approximately 3:30 pm.
The interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph described her condition as stable.
for treatment.
The ambassador of Haiti to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, said that her condition was stable but still critical.
Dozens of Haitians started gathering at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince on 8 July, hoping to seek asylum in the United States because of the insecurity created by President Moïse's assassination, after rumours circulated stating that the United States was going to give out visas to Haitians on humanitarian grounds. Gang violence meanwhile increased in the country following the assassination.
The
to help Haiti with the case. Colombia dispatched the head of its
.
on 7 July to deploy peacekeeping troops to his country until the situation was stabilised. The country also requested deployment of troops from the United States. A senior American government official however told
news agency that there were currently no plans to deploy American troops to Haiti.
however stated on 12 July that the request was still under review.
stated on 15 July that there were no plans to deploy American troops in Haiti.
, one of the most powerful gang bosses in Haiti and the leader of the G9 gang federation, on 10 July called the assassination of the president a "national and international conspiracy" against Haiti, while blaming the police, opposition politicians and the business class of being behind the killing. He called on his men to protest against the assassination and also warned that his followers would commit violence, while adding that it was time for black people of Haiti to take back control of the business sector from those of
account, calling on Haiti to "not lose its way" and accusing unnamed people of assassinating her husband to stall a democratic transition of power. She posted photos of herself recovering in the hospital bed to Twitter on 14 July and thanked the medical team that saved her. On 17 July, she returned to Haiti following her release from the hospital.
The funeral for the late President was held on 23 July at his family compound near
, amidst a tense atmosphere. Some of the mourners heckled the Haitian officials and politicians, leading to firing of tear gas and gunshots by the police, while foreign diplomats left the funeral earlier. A day before the funeral, protesters had also tried to stop mourners from being able to attend it.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared 7 July as a national holiday for Haiti on the first anniversary of the assassination.
states that the Council of Ministers, under the Presidency of the Prime Minister, exercises the Executive Power until the election of another President. The constitution also stipulates that the
will elect a provisional president. Complicating matters further, the delay in
has made the Assembly essentially defunct.
to replace Joseph as the prime minister, but Henry did not assume the role before the assassination. Henry declared himself to be the rightful prime minister after Moïse's death. After the United States chose to support Joseph, Henry stated that it had made a mistake. He however has stated that he is avoiding a conflict over the issue, so as to not worsen the situation in the country.
Joseph announced on 8 July 2021 that legislative elections would still be held in September despite the assassination, stating that, "The Head of Government promises to hold talks with opposition leaders and other actors in national life to calm the socio-political climate and facilitate inclusive and credible elections according to the timetable set by the Provisional Electoral Council."
Joseph has said that he is in control of the country until the election of a new president,
.
, confirmed that interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph will lead Haiti until the election is held later this year, urging all parties to set aside differences following the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
Eight out of ten sitting members of Haiti's
as the interim President on 9 July. They also selected Ariel Henry to become the prime minister.
A dozen political parties also signed an accord calling for Lambert to be installed as the President by 11 July. Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph however rejected the Senate's decision, stating he did not want a power struggle and the new president should be chosen in the elections.
A group of prominent diplomats called the "Core Group", which is made up of ambassadors to Haiti from
and the United Nations, urged for creation of "a consensual and inclusive government." It also encouraged Ariel Henry to form a government, a task which had been entrusted to him by the late President, and called on individuals involved in the political, economic and civil society sectors to support the authorities in restoring security.
Joseph told ''
'' on 19 July that he would be relinquishing his powers as the leader of Haiti and handing the charge to Henry, after having met him privately over the past week. Henry was sworn in on 20 July 2021.
commanders in response to the assassination. The country also banned air travel to Haiti. The diplomatic staff of the Dominican Republic stationed in Haiti was meanwhile evacuated by the
from Toussaint Louverture International Airport.
International condemnation of the attack included statements from the governments of
.
declared three days of mourning with flags half mast from 8 to 10 July.
ordered national flags and the CARICOM Standard at half-mast for three days beginning immediately, as well as on the day of the funeral.
On 15 July,
in order to protect the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.
, tasking him to work with local and international officials in order to stabilise Haiti, while also trying to support holding of free and fair elections.
of Colombia, called on Haiti in late July to ensure the legal rights of the Colombian suspects were respected and they were given proper medical care. She further stated that a consular mission had found irregularities in their detention, in addition to them not being provided lawyers. She also added that some of the suspects had been wounded during their arrest and did not receive medical care.