Haiti extradites 18 suspects to U.S. in President Jovenel Moïse assassination case

Port-au-Prince.- Haiti confirmed Sunday that several people accused of involvement in the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse have been extradited to the United States, as Haitian authorities acknowledged continued delays in their own judicial proceedings.

The Haitian Ministry of Justice did not provide a number, but U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said 18 people were transported from Haiti to the United States aboard a military aircraft to face U.S. justice.

The transfer followed a request from U.S. authorities under the extradition treaty between Haiti and the United States. U.S. authorities have charged 30 people in connection with Moïse’s assassination.

The Haitian ministry said the domestic case has faced significant difficulties and, five years after the July 7, 2021 killing, has not reached trial. It said the U.S. proceedings have advanced through arrests, prosecutions and convictions.

Among those transferred was Joseph Félix Badio, whom Haitian authorities accuse of planning the assassination, along with several Colombian nationals allegedly linked to the plot.

The Haitian government said information and evidence obtained through the extraditions could help advance its own investigation into the killing.

Moïse’s assassination deepened Haiti’s political and security crisis, which has since been marked by widespread gang violence. According to the United Nations, at least 3,050 people were killed and 1,401 injured in Haiti during the first half of the year.