In Miami, a former Colombian soldier has admitted to conspiring in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in an incident that plunged the Caribbean nation into chaos. Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, 45, entered a guilty plea to three charges, including a conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States, during a brief court appearance before federal Judge José E. MartÃnez. Present in court with his lawyer, Alfredo Izaguirre, Mr. Palacios confirmed his guilty plea in Spanish, following the judge’s inquiry.
As the fifth of 11 defendants in Miami to plead guilty in the assassination, Mr. Palacios has agreed to cooperate with the investigation and plead guilty in exchange for a deal with prosecutors. Although he could face a life sentence at his March 1 sentencing, prosecutors acknowledged that he played a lesser role in the plot. Mr. Izaguirre stated to reporters that Mr. Palacios was unaware of the plan and did not have decision-making authority.
The conspirators initially intended to kidnap the Haitian president but later changed their plan to assassinate him. According to prosecutors, the group included around 20 former Colombian soldiers and several dual Haitian American citizens. Moïse was fatally shot at his private residence near Port-Au-Prince on July 7, 2021, at the age of 53, while his wife, Martine Moïse, was injured in the attack.
In addition to the arrests in Miami, Haitian authorities detained over 40 suspects, including 18 former Colombian soldiers and several high-ranking Haitian police officers. In the wake of Moïse’s assassination, Haiti has faced a surge in gang violence, leading to the prime minister’s request for the immediate deployment of a foreign armed force. The U.N. Security Council resolved to send a multinational force, led by Kenya, to assist in combating gangs, with the first group of about 300 officers expected to arrive by February.
The deployment, however, has been delayed pending a court decision expected in January. Meanwhile, the trial is slated for May 2024, following previous postponements.