Four new defendants in connection with plot to assassinate Haitian president

US federal authorities have transferred into their custody four men detained in Haiti to face criminal charges in Miami related to their alleged involvement in the assassination of former Haitian President Jovenel Moïse on July 7, 2021.

In the criminal indictment, James Solages, 37, and Joseph Vincent, 57, both with Haitian-American dual citizenship, and Colombian citizen Germán Alejandro Rivera García, 44, are charged with the crime of conspiracy to commit homicide or kidnapping. outside the United States and provide substantial support and resources resulting in death, or conspire thereto, knowing or with the intent that such support and resources would be used to prepare or carry out the conspiracy to kill or kidnap.

In a separate criminal indictment, Christian Sanon, 54, who holds dual Haitian-American citizenship, is charged with conspiring to smuggle goods from the United States and causing the failure to submit export information, as well as smuggling of merchandise from the United States and provision of illegal export information.

Solages, Vincent, Rivera and Sanon are scheduled to have their first federal court appearances Wednesday afternoon before federal trial judge Alicia Otazo-Reyes in Miami.

Including these four defendants, there are currently seven people in US custody who have been charged with federal crimes for their part in the assassination plot. The other men charged are Mariio Antonio Palacios, 43, Rodolphe Jaar, 49, and Joseph Joel John, 51, who were arrested last year.

As the indictments allege, Solages, Vincent, Rivera, Sanon and others participated in crimes that resulted in the assassination of the Haitian president.

If convicted, Solages, Vincent and Rivera face up to life in prison. Sanon would face up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted. Sentencing will be determined by a federal district judge after considering the Federal Sentencing Guidelines and other regulatory factors.

The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s Homeland Security Division, United States Attorney Markenzy Lapointe of the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Operation Maged Behnam of the Field Office in FBI Miami and Acting Special Agent in Charge of Operation Michael E. Buckley for Homeland Security Investigations (Homeland Security InvestigationsHSI) in Miami.

Connect with the Voice of America! Subscribe to our channel Youtube and activate notifications, or follow us on social networks: Facebook, Twitter and instagram.