Full Breakdown
U.S. Court Receives 18 Extradited Suspects in Haiti President’s 2021 Assassination
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The Extradition and Court Appearance
On September 21, 2026, eighteen individuals were transferred from Haiti to the United States aboard a military aircraft and appeared before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami. The group includes former Haitian Ministry of Justice employee Joseph Badio and seventeen Colombian nationals identified as mercenaries.
Background of the 2021 Assassination
President Jovenel Moïse was shot and killed at his private residence in Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021 when a force of roughly two dozen foreign mercenaries stormed the home. His wife, Martine Moïse, was wounded but survived. The attackers allegedly posed as agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and acted for personal profit.
Planning, Financing, and South Florida’s Role
U.S. prosecutors allege the conspiracy was organized in South Florida, where planners secured funding from U.S. COVID-19 relief programs—specifically Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) proceeds. Private security firms based in Miami, identified in indictments as CTU Federal Academy and Worldwide Capital Lending Group, are said to have recruited and equipped the Colombian mercenaries.
Key Figures
- Joseph Badio – former anti-corruption official in Haiti’s Ministry of Justice, charged with conspiracy.
- Jason Reding Quiñones – U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, leading the prosecution.
- Brett Skiles – Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami.
Timeline
- July 7, 2021 – Assassination of President Moïse.
- 2025 – Haitian officials request U.S. and Canadian assistance for a new investigation.
- September 21, 2026 – Extradition of 18 suspects and their appearance in Miami federal court.
- December 13, 2026 (scheduled) – Haiti plans presidential and legislative elections and a constitutional referendum.
Data & Statistics
- 30 individuals have been indicted in connection with the assassination.
- 18 suspects were extradited in September 2026.
- At least nine conspirators have already been convicted or pleaded guilty, including four men sentenced in May 2026.
- Since the killing, Haiti has experienced more than 3,000 deaths and about 1.5 million displaced persons, according to United Nations estimates.
Official Statements & Responses
U.S. Haiti’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security issued a statement confirming the surrender of the suspects “to allow for their trial” and noting that domestic proceedings “continue to face significant difficulties.” Dr. Eduardo Gamarra observed that Haiti “has no functioning court system,” a condition that has delayed domestic prosecution and prompted reliance on U.S. jurisdiction.
Verbatim Quotes
- “In July 2021, President Jovenel Moise was assassinated by individuals seeking to profit from illicit financial opportunities and business contracts,” — Special Agent
- “Haiti is an unfortunate case because it has no functioning court system,” — Dr. Eduardo Gamarra, professor and Latin Affairs expert at FIU
Why It Matters
The extradition marks a pivotal step in addressing a high-profile political assassination that has left Haiti without an elected president for five years and deepened the nation’s security crisis. By pursuing the case in U.S. federal courts, authorities aim to circumvent Haiti’s crippled judicial infrastructure, hold alleged financiers and operatives accountable, and signal that transnational plots for profit will face international legal consequences.
What’s Next
The transferred suspects will face arraignment and subsequent trial proceedings in the Southern District of Florida. The outcomes of the U.S. trials could influence Haiti’s political transition and the enforcement of U.S. anti-money-laundering statutes tied to foreign illicit activities.