MIAMI, USA — September 22, 2026: Eighteen suspects accused of involvement in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse have appeared before a federal court in Miami following their extradition from Haiti to the United States.
The defendants were transferred to the United States on September 20 aboard a U.S. military aircraft as American prosecutors moved forward with the long-running case. The group includes 17 Colombian former soldiers and Joseph Felix Badio, a former Haitian Ministry of Justice employee who is considered a key suspect in the investigation.
Moïse, 53, was killed at his private residence in Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021. U.S. prosecutors have alleged that the broader conspiracy involved individuals who planned, financed and facilitated the operation, with parts of the alleged plot organized from South Florida.
At Monday’s hearing in Miami, the defendants appeared handcuffed and shackled and used headphones to follow proceedings through an interpreter, according to CBS News Miami.
The U.S. case has expanded considerably since the assassination. Prosecutors say 30 people have been indicted in connection with the killing. Four men were convicted in Florida in May 2026, while at least five others have previously pleaded guilty and received life sentences.
The transfer of the 18 suspects follows years of delays in Haiti’s judicial process. Haitian authorities have cited serious difficulties, including threats to judges and gang control around the country’s judicial institutions.
The defendants remain accused persons, and the allegations against them will be tested through the U.S. judicial process.
Source note: The factual update above is based on reporting from Reuters, Associated Press and CBS News published September 20–21, 2026.
