Four south Florida men convicted in Haitian president’s assassination

Four South Florida men have been convicted in a Miami federal court for their roles in plotting the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. The men, Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, James Solages, and Walter Veintemilla, were found guilty of conspiracy to kill and kidnap a person outside the U.S. resulting in death, and providing material support for the act. Prosecutors presented evidence that the defendants hired former Colombian soldiers and supplied them with resources to carry out the assassination at Moïse's Port-au-Prince residence. The killing of President Moïse in July 2021 created a significant political vacuum and exacerbated gang violence in Haiti. All four convicted men face potential life sentences, while a fifth defendant, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, will be tried later.

Four individuals have been convicted in the United States for their roles in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages were found guilty of conspiring to kill or kidnap Moise and providing material support for the plot. US prosecutors alleged that South Florida served as a central hub for planning and funding the assassination, which has exacerbated Haiti's ongoing political, security, and humanitarian crises. The defense argued the defendants were involved in a plan to serve an arrest warrant, not to assassinate the president, claiming Moise was killed by his own security forces. A fifth defendant's trial was postponed.