Colombian Ex-Soldier Charged in U.S. Over Killing of Haiti's President Jovenel Moise

The U.S. announced Tuesday that a former Colombian military officer has been charged in connection with the assassination of Haiti's President Jovenel Moise last July.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, Mario Antonio Palacios, 43, allegedly participated in a plot "to kidnap or kill the Haitian president," BBC reported.

The department noted that a complaint was filed in Florida against Palacios and a group of about 20 other Colombian nationals and dual Haitian-American citizens. They were accused of "conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping" outside the U.S.

"Palacios and others entered the president's residence in Haiti with the intent and purpose of killing President Moise, and in fact, the president was killed," the Justice Department said in a statement.

It can be recalled that more than 40 suspects, including 19 former Colombian soldiers, have been arrested and detained in connection with the assassination of Moise, NBC News reported.

Palacios was reportedly a member of Colombia's military for 20 years. He was arrested in Jamaica last October and was scheduled to fly to his native country. However, Interpol notified Palacios during a stopover in Panama that the U.S. government was extraditing him.

Colombia's Ex-Military Officer Charged in Florida Court In Connection With Haiti President's Killing

Mario Antonio Palacios appeared at a Miami court in Florida on Tuesday to hear the charges against him without entering a plea.

A complaint unsealed on the same day noted that Palacios spoke voluntarily with the U.S. authorities in October. The Colombian military officer told them that he was hired to travel to Haiti to provide security and participate in an operation to arrest the Haitian president.

Palacios said the initial plan was for co-conspirators to wear black hoodies before capturing Jovenel Moise at the airport in June and taking him away by plane. He also revealed that he was informed about the plan to kill Moise a day before the assassination.

Court-appointed attorney Alfredo Izaguirre told U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Otazo-Reyes that he recommended Palacios stay in detention as he has no immigration status, relatives, or ties to the U.S. The judge then ordered detention because he was a flight risk.

The former Colombian military officer is set to appear in court again on January 31. Izaguirre noted that his client would probably plead not guilty at the preliminary hearing.

Former Haitian Prime Minister Claude Joseph lauded the U.S. taking custody of Palacios, saying it was a "step in the right direction." However, Joseph urged authorities in Haiti to work with the U.S. government in extraditing Palacios so that he could face justice in their country.

Haiti President Jovenel Moise's Assassination

A group of gunmen had assassinated Jovenel Moise and wounded his wife at their home in Port-au-Prince on July 7. Police had killed four suspects at the time.

The Haitian ambassador to the U.S., Bocchit Edmond, earlier said that foreign mercenaries and professional killers carried out the attack.

Edmond noted that the suspects were pretending to be agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The said agency has an office in Haiti's capital to help the government in its counternarcotic efforts.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

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