Four South Florida Men Convicted in 2021 Assassination of Haitian President
In a landmark US federal trial, four men were convicted on Friday for their roles in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. The verdict, delivered in a Miami courtroom, marks a significant step in the long-running investigation into the killing that has destabilized Haiti and fueled gang violence.
The Convictions
Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, 53, a former FBI informant and Colombian national; Antonio Intriago, 62, a Venezuelan-American owner of a security firm; James Solages, 40, a Haitian-American handyman; and Walter Veintemilla, 57, an Ecuadorian American, were found guilty of conspiracy to kill and kidnap a person outside the United States resulting in death, as well as providing material support for the crime. All four face life in prison, according to court records and prosecutors.
The trial, which lasted nearly two months, centered on the planning and execution of the assassination of Moise, who was shot dead in July 2021 at his private residence in the hills above Port-au-Prince. Prosecutors argued that the defendants assembled roughly two dozen former Colombian soldiers, supplying them with money, guns, ammunition, and tactical vests to carry out the plot. They described south Florida as a central hub for the conspiracy's planning and funding.
Defense Arguments
Defense lawyers countered that their clients were scapegoats in a larger conspiracy. They argued that the men only intended to serve an arrest warrant on Moise, whom they claimed had overstayed his constitutional term. The defense further contended that by the time the Colombian operatives arrived, Moise had already been killed by his own security forces and government officials.
"This is a Haitian plot and it is a Haitian conspiracy," defense lawyer Emmanuel Perez told reporters, as reported by the Miami Herald. They also criticized the prosecution's reliance on evidence from Haiti, calling it unreliable.
A Fifth Defendant and Ongoing Questions
A fifth co-defendant, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a Haitian-born doctor who prosecutors said wanted to be named president after Moise's death, will be tried separately at a later date due to health issues, according to court records.
The assassination has triggered multiple investigations and indictments in both Haiti and the United States, and has given rise to competing theories about who ordered the killing and why. The political vacuum left by Moise's death has been accompanied by a surge in gang violence and a deepening humanitarian crisis in Haiti, which has not held national elections since.
Broader Context
The convictions come amid ongoing instability in Haiti, where a transitional council recently handed power to a US-backed prime minister. The country continues to grapple with armed gangs controlling large parts of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and widespread food insecurity. While the US trial has provided some accountability, many questions remain about the full scope of the conspiracy and the involvement of other actors, both domestic and international.
As the legal proceedings continue, the verdict offers a measure of justice for Moise's family and the Haitian people, though the broader quest for stability and the full truth behind the assassination remains far from complete.