18 suspects in Moïse assassination appear in Miami federal court

A former Haitian government official and 17 other suspects appeared in a Miami federal court on Monday to face charges connected to the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.

Joseph Badio, who once worked for Haiti's Ministry of Justice, was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair. The hearing followed his transfer, along with the 17 others described as Colombian mercenaries, from Haitian custody to the United States a day earlier.

U.S. authorities have alleged that South Florida was a central hub for the planning and financing of the plot, which aimed to remove Moïse and install a replacement of the conspirators' choosing. At least nine people have so far been convicted either at trial or through guilty pleas.

Moïse was killed on July 7, 2021, when roughly two dozen foreign mercenaries, most of them Colombian, stormed his residence near Port-au-Prince. His wife, Martine, was wounded in the attack.

According to the indictment, Badio posed as a U.S. drug agent and took part in the killing. He faces a conspiracy charge. A lawyer appointed to represent him temporarily could not be reached for comment. Before the assassination, Badio had been dismissed from the government's anti-corruption unit over alleged ethics violations weeks earlier.

During the hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette Reid assigned lawyers and scheduled further court dates in a series of brief exchanges with each of the 18 defendants.

Haiti's Ministry of Justice and Public Security said on Sunday that it had handed the suspects over to the United States "to allow for their trial," noting that proceedings in Haiti "continue to face significant difficulties."