4 Men Charged in Assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse Face Trial in Miami

Prosecutors allege the men were driven by greed, arrogance and a desire for power in plotting the 2021 killing.

Mar. 10, 2026 at 10:12pm

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Four men charged in the U.S. for the 2021 assassination of Haiti's former president Jovenel Moïse are facing trial in Miami. Federal prosecutors allege the men, Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla and James Solages, conspired in South Florida to kidnap or kill Moïse in a plot driven by greed, arrogance and a desire for power. The defense has argued the investigation in Haiti was a mess and their clients were manipulated into taking the blame for an internal coup.

Why it matters

Moïse's assassination led to unprecedented turmoil in Haiti, where gang leaders have grown increasingly violent and empowered. This trial aims to hold accountable those allegedly responsible for the killing that plunged the Caribbean nation into crisis.

The details

According to prosecutors, the four men wanted to seize power and get rich. They allegedly met in South Florida in April 2021 and agreed that, once in power, one of the men, Christian Sanon, would award contracts to their companies for infrastructure projects, security forces and military equipment. Worldwide Capital agreed to help finance the coup, extending a $175,000 line of credit to one of the companies and sending money to co-conspirators in Haiti to purchase ammunition. The group initially retained about 20 Colombian nationals with military training to provide security for Sanon, but later realized he lacked the support to become president and backed a former Haitian judge instead.

  • Moïse was killed on July 7, 2021.
  • The conspirators met in South Florida in April 2021.
  • By June 2021, the conspirators realized Sanon had neither the constitutional qualifications nor sufficient popular support to become president.

The players

Arcangel Pretel Ortiz

One of the four men charged in the U.S. for the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.

Antonio Intriago

One of the four men charged in the U.S. for the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.

Walter Veintemilla

One of the four men charged in the U.S. for the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.

James Solages

One of the four men charged in the U.S. for the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.

Christian Sanon

A dual Haitian-U.S. citizen who the conspirators initially favored to replace Moïse as president.

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What they’re saying

“So arrogant and confident in themselves, the evidence will show, and thinking so little of the Republic of Haiti and its people, they actually thought they could pull it off.”

— Sean McLaughlin, Assistant U.S. Attorney (wbal.com)

“Once you get off on the wrong foot, everything that comes after is hard to trust.”

— Orlando do Campo, Ortiz's attorney (wbal.com)

“The group had a real arrest warrant signed by a judge, Solages' attorney Jonathan Friedman said. The judge later claimed the warrant was signed under duress.”

— Jonathan Friedman, Solages' attorney (wbal.com)

What’s next

The trial in Miami is expected to last more than two months as prosecutors and defense attorneys present their cases.

The takeaway

This high-profile trial will shed light on the complex web of alleged conspirators and their motives behind the assassination of Haiti's former president, which plunged the country into further political and social upheaval.