Four men charged in the 2021 assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse went on trial in Miami on Tuesday, with prosecutors alleging that greed and power were the driving forces behind the plot. Arcangel Pretel Ortíz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages are accused of conspiring to kidnap or kill Moïse in South Florida.
Key Takeaways
The trial of four men charged in the assassination of Haiti's President Jovenel Moïse began in Miami on Tuesday. Prosecutors allege greed and power motivated the conspirators, while defense attorneys claim their clients were manipulated.
- Trial begins for Arcangel Pretel Ortíz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages
- Prosecutors say defendants conspired to seize power and get rich
- Defense argues investigation was flawed and clients were set up
- Moïse's assassination led to turmoil in Haiti with gang violence escalating
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean McLaughlin told the jury that the case is straightforward: The defendants wanted to seize power and get rich. According to theguardian.com, prosecutors described the men as arrogant and confident, thinking they could pull off the assassination with little regard for Haiti and its people.
The defense attorneys argued that the investigation initiated in Haiti was flawed and that their clients were manipulated into taking the blame. Orlando do Campo, an attorney for Pretel Ortíz, stated that once investigations start on the wrong foot, everything after is hard to trust.
Moïse was killed on July 7, 2021, when about two dozen foreign mercenaries, mostly from Colombia, attacked his home near Port-au-Prince. According to court documents cited by latimes.com, South Florida served as a central location for planning and financing the plot to oust Moïse.
The conspirators initially favored Christian Sanon, a dual Haitian-U.S. citizen, to replace Moïse. However, they later backed Wendelle Coq Thélot, a former Haitian Superior Court judge who died in January 2025 while still a fugitive. Investigators say the conspirators met in South Florida in April 2021 and agreed that Sanon would award contracts to CTU for infrastructure projects and military equipment if he came to power.
Defense attorneys claimed that their clients believed they were working with FBI agents, U.S. Embassy officials, and members of the Haitian government to lawfully arrest Moïse. They pointed to Joseph Félix Badio, a former Haitian government worker arrested in Haiti in 2023, as the mastermind behind the plan.
The trial is expected to last more than two months, with U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra overseeing proceedings. Five others have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and are serving life sentences. The investigation into Moïse's assassination has been stalled by gang violence, death threats, and a crumbling judicial system in Haiti.
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