Florida jury convicts 4 men in Haiti president's 2021 assassination plot

A federal jury in Florida has convicted four men of their roles in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. The men—Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages—were found guilty of conspiracy to kill or kidnap Moïse, providing material support, and violating the U.S. Neutrality Act. They now face potential life sentences. The plot, organized from South Florida, involved financing and planning the deadly July 7, 2021, home invasion in Haiti, where Moïse was killed and his wife, Martine, was wounded. The conspirators aimed to oust Moïse and install Christian Sanon, a dual Haitian-American citizen, as the new leader, with hopes of financial gain. Ortiz and Intriago ran a Miami-area security firm, while Veintemilla headed a South Florida capital lending group. The trial, which began in March, included harrowing testimony from Martine Moïse, who described the attack by roughly two dozen foreign mercenaries, mostly Colombians. The assassination has contributed to unprecedented gang violence and political turmoil in Haiti. At least five others have pleaded guilty in the conspiracy and are serving life sentences.