18 suspects in killing of Haitian president flown to US to face trial

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – A military plane whisked 18 suspects in the 2021 killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moise out of Haiti and flew them to the United States on Sept. 20, according to Jason Reding Quiñones, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

"Today marks the next major phase in our pursuit of accountability for the assassination," Quiñones said in a statement posted on social media.

The 53-year-old president was shot dead in July 2021 at his private residence in the hills ​above Port-au-Prince, a killing that left a gaping political vacuum in the Caribbean nation and emboldened powerful armed groups in the country. The killing ​has prompted multiple investigations and indictments in Haiti and the United States.

On Sunday, Sept. 20, Haitian Justice Minister Patrick Pelissier confirmed in a statement that suspects had been transferred from Haiti to the United States, adding that Haitian judicial proceedings had been delayed.

"While the American procedure has recorded significant progress, notably arrests, prosecutions, and convictions, the Haitian procedure remains confronted with major difficulties and has not, to date, resulted in a trial being held, after five years of proceedings," Pelissier said.

U.S. prosecutors have argued that suspects in the case…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/