US arrests four more in plot to kill Haiti president

The US Justice Department announced four new arrests in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, including a US financier for the operation.

Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla and Frederick Bergmann were accused of involvement in the July 7, 2021 murder that was carried out by a group of military-trained Colombians recruited by Haitians in Florida.

The plot was hatched at first by Haitian-American Christian Sanon, one of the four charged last month, who allegedly wanted to become Haitian president by sparking an uprising against Moise, according to court filings.

Ortiz and Intriago ran two Florida security companies when they agreed to support Sanon, the filings say.

Veintemilla, who ran a lending company, meanwhile agreed to finance the operation with a $175,000 credit line.

When they realised that Sanon had little support in Haiti and was constitutionally prevented from becoming president, they shifted their support to a former Haitian Supreme Court judge, US Justice officials said.

The judge remains unnamed in the filings but US prosecutor Markenzy Lapointe said he was clearly involved in the plot.

"Haiti is no stranger to hardship and suffering," Lapointe said.

The plotters "thought they could go down there and actually reap the benefits of that vulnerability," he said.

The Colombian squad shot Moise dead on the night of July 6 to 7, 2021 in his private residence in Port-au-Prince, while his wife survived the attack.