U. S. has arrested new suspects in attempt to assassinate president of Haiti
2023.02.15 11:10
U. S. has arrested new suspects in attempt to assassinate president of Haiti
By Ray Johnson
Budrigannews.com – Authorities said on Tuesday that four suspects were arrested and charged by federal agents in the United States for their alleged roles in the plot that resulted in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in 2021.
The assassination of Moise created a political vacuum in the Caribbean nation and encouraged powerful gangs that act as de facto authorities in large parts of Port-au-Prince, the capital.
According to the Justice Department, a South Florida grand jury has indicted eleven individuals and placed them in custody in the United States.
Antonio “Tony” Intriago, owner of Counter Terrorist Unit Security, or CTU, is one of the three new defendants; The proprietor of the affiliated CTU Federal Academy LLC, Arcangel Pretel Ortiz; U.S. authorities said in a briefing that Walter Veintemilla, who heads Worldwide Capital Lending Group out of Miramar, is accused of supporting a conspiracy to kidnap or kill Haiti’s president.
Officials added that Frederick Bergmann, the fourth defendant, is accused of conspiring to smuggle ballistic vests for former Colombian soldiers who allegedly carried out Moise’s fatal shooting.
Weapons, ballistic vests, and financing that were used in the deadly plot are the focus of their investigation.
Pretel Ortiz is a Colombian-American citizen, while Intriago is a Venezuelan-American businessman. The Justice Department informed reporters that both were being held in South Florida.
Officials added that Veintemilla, a citizen of the United States, gave CTU Security a loan of more than $170,000 to help finance their operations in Haiti.
The Miami Herald and New York Times reported the arrests and charges earlier on Tuesday. At his bond hearing on Tuesday, Intriago’s attorney told the New York Times that he intended to enter a not guilty plea.
Since the murder, Haitian gangs have expanded their territory. The ensuing violence has resulted in regular gun battles with police and made a significant portion of the country inaccessible to the government.
The United Nations made the suggestion in October to send a “rapid action force” to Haiti to combat the growing violence from armed gangs whose turf wars have killed hundreds and displaced thousands.
The most recent arrests in the United States come just a day before leaders of the Caribbean bloc known as CARICOM are scheduled to meet for a three-day conference, at which the situation in Haiti is anticipated to be one of the primary topics.
