‘CONSPIRATORS’

U.S. Arrests 4 Men in Florida Over Haitian Prez’s Assassination

A total of 11 people are now in U.S. custody facing charges in relation to Jovenel Moïse’s 2021 death.

Four men were arrested by federal agents in Florida on Tuesday in connection with the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, authorities said. The men were identified in a press release as three U.S. citizens—Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and Frederick Bergmann—and a Colombian national residing in Miami, Arcangel Pretel Ortiz. The new arrests bring the total number of the case’s alleged “conspirators” in U.S. custody to 11, while more than a dozen remain imprisoned in Haiti on suspicion of involvement. Officials said that Ortiz and Intriago aided the plot to replace Moïse with aspiring politician Christian Emmanual Sanon, who promised to award their security firm with “lucrative” government contracts. Through their South Florida-based firm, Counter Terrorist Unit Security, the pair allegedly hired a group of 20 men to provide security to Sanon in the operation. Veintemilla, a Florida financier, is accused of helping to fund the plot with an infusion of $175,000 to CTU Security. Bergmann allegedly smuggled bulletproof vests into Haiti for the coup d’etat. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, while the other three men could be staring down life sentences.