Source: VALERIE BAERISWYL / Getty
The federal government announced that they had detained four men from Florida in for their alleged roles in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
According to reports, four more men in Florida were arrested by local authorities working under the direction of the Department of Justice for their roles in the assassination of the Haitian national leader which took place on 2021. The arrests took place on Tuesday (Feb. 14th). These arrests bring the number of those involved up to 11.
“Today, individuals who we allege participated in the planning, financing, and orchestration of the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse will face justice in an American courtroom,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. Former Haitian Prime Minister Claude Joseph shared the news on Twitter, writing “Justice must prevail.”
Details from the filed court documents show that Antonio “Tony” Intriago, owner of CTU Security in Miami, Florida was charged with conspiracy to kill or kidnap a person outside the U.S. in addition to other offenses. Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, the company’s representative was also detained. Walter Veintemilla, a financier from the state has been accused of financing the operation. A fourth man, Frederick Joseph Bergmann Jr, was detained on suspicion of smuggling.
The documents state that the four were part of a plot originally designed to kidnap Moïse and supplant him with a new leader, Christian Emmanuel Sanon. Sanon is one of three Haitian-Americans who have been previously arrested. The plot turned from a coup to an assassination when it was found that Sanon wasn’t qualified to take over, with other suspects including James Solages who reportedly shouted that the CIA was involved to back down Moïse’s security detail at his private home during the attack.
On the Haitian side, proceedings have stalled, leaving the 18 detained Colombian mercenaries and 40 other suspects in a Port-au-Prince prison. Three judges have stepped down for fear of being assassinated themselves, while a fourth was dismissed outright. Martine Moïse, the president’s widow called for a special United Nations investigation last month.
