U.S. arrests 4 in connection with assassination of Haitian president

U.S. federal agents arrested four suspects in Florida on charges of playing key roles in the plot to assassinateHaitian President Jovenel Mosein 2021, authorities said on Tuesday.

Mose's murderleft a political vacuum in the Caribbean nation and emboldened powerful gangs who serve as de facto authorities in large parts of the country's capital.

Eleven individuals are now in U.S. custody in connection with the murder, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

Three of the new defendants are accused of supporting a conspiracy to kidnap or kill the president of Haiti, U.S. authorities said in a briefing.

The fourth defendantis accused of conspiring to smuggle ballistic (bulletproof)vests for former Colombian soldiers who allegedly carried out the fatal shooting of Moise, officials added.

Their investigation focuses on weapons, ballistic vests and financing used in the deadly plot.

Gang-dominated turmoil

The arrests and expected charges were reported earlier on Tuesday by the Miami Herald and the New York Times.The lawyer for one of the new defendants, Venezuelan-American businessman AntonioIntriago, told the New York Times he intended to enter a not guilty plea at his bond hearing on Tuesday.

Haitian gangs have expanded their territory since the assassination. The resulting violence has left much of the country off-limits to the government and led to routine gun battles with police.

Sanctioned Haitians continue to hold assets in Canada

2 years ago

Duration 2:04

Canada has announced sanctions against 15 wealthy Haitian individuals for their alleged role in fuelling the country's spiralling gang violence. But so far there's little evidence of enforcement.

In October, the United Nations suggested a "rapid action force" be sent to Haiti to combat escalating violence from armed gangs whose turf battles have left hundreds dead and thousands displaced.

The latest arrests in the United States come a day before leaders of the Caribbean bloc, CARICOM, are set to meet for a three-day conference, where the situation in Haiti is expected to be one of the main issues.