Haiti: Suspects in President Jovenel Moise Assassination Transferred to U.S. Custody

As gangs continue to take control of Haiti, four key suspects in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise were transferred to the United States to face prosecution. This comes as local Haitian judges get spooked by death threats against them should they hear the case.

According to the Associated Press, the four suspects transferred to U.S. custody are Haitian Americans James Solages, 37, and Joseph Vincent, as well as pastor and doctor Christian Emmanuel Sanon and Colombian German Rivera Garcia.

Sanon, who is described as a failed businessman, was identified as a key player in the plot but it has been suggested that he was duped by the real masterminds behind the assassination who are still yet to be identified.

He is charged with smuggling goods from the U.S. and providing unlawful export information. These include smuggling 20 ballistic vests but were described as "medical X-ray vests and school supplies."

Moise's assassination has plunged Haiti into a political crisis as violent street gangs became emboldened and overwhelmed police. They have ransacked and burned courthouses and have already killed many as they vied for territory not just against police, but also against other gangs.

Jovenel Moise Assassination Suspects Discussed Regime Change in Haiti

Haitian authorities believe that Sanon tried to seize power for himself as president. However, he was not charged with conspiracy to commit murder like the three other men.

However, the elderly doctor did meet with one of the other suspects, Solages, in April 2021. According to the Justice Department, they met "to discuss regime change in Haiti and support for Sanon, an aspiring Haitian political candidate."

The two men then received a list of equipment needed for the "regime change operation," according to the New York Times. These include rifles, machine guns, tear gas, grenades, ammunition, and bulletproof vests.

This led Sanon to conspire with others to ship the bulletproof vests from South Florida to Haiti. These vests would be used by the 20 Colombian mercenaries who attacked the president. One of the suspects, Garcia, was considered to be their leader.

However, in June 2021, the planned replacement for Moise shifted to a Supreme Court judge as the plan would be to arrest and imprison Moise. However, by July of that same year, the plan changed again as Solages told the other conspirators that they would kill the president instead.

If found guilty. Sanon could face up to 20 years while the other three could face a life sentence.

Haiti Spiraling Out of Control as Gangs take Over

The United Nations has estimated that Haitian gangs have gained control of the majority of the capital, Port-au-Prince, One of the most powerful gangs is the G9 Family and Allies," led by the infamous Jimmy Cherizier, also known as Barbeque, who previously took over Haiti's largest oil depot and crippled the country even further.

He recently spoke to the Associated Press and flaunted that he was not afraid of authorities or other gangs, riding a motorcycle while flanked by gang members in the streets that his gang has occupied.

He told the outlet that he is not a thief nor a rapist, but a revolutionary that is fighting against the corrupt government. The AP noted that men like Chezier are the ones filling the power vacuum left by Haiti's crumbling government, which has been in shambles since Moise was assassinated.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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