Haitian Police: "Haitian Doctor Living in the US Behind President's Assassination"

President Mo?se of Haiti killed by assailants
[Photo by AP News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Haitian police investigating the assassination of President Jovenel Mo?se have arrested an additional suspect, a Haitian doctor residing in the United States.

According to the New York Times on the 11th (local time), L?on Charles, Chief of the Haitian National Police, stated on the 11th that Christian Emmanuel Sanon (63), a Haitian national living in Florida, USA, was arrested and identified as one of the masterminds behind the president's assassination.

Chief Charles said, "When the group's escape route was blocked, they first contacted Sanon." He added that at Sanon's residence, items including hats bearing the logo of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), ammunition, two vehicles, and two license plates from the Dominican Republic were found.

Earlier, the police announced that 26 Colombians and 2 Haitian-Americans were involved in the assassination of President Mo?se on the 7th, and that 20 people, including the Americans, had been arrested.

The police claimed that Sanon was the one who hired these Colombian "mercenaries" through CTU, a Venezuelan private security company headquartered in the United States.

According to the police, Sanon entered Haiti last month on a private plane with some Colombian mercenaries for political purposes. The mercenaries were initially assigned to protect Sanon, but their mission later changed to capturing President Mo?se.

Haitian-American suspects reportedly stated during police investigations that their original mission was not to kill the president but to arrest him based on an arrest warrant issued in 2019 and bring him to the presidential palace, according to the Miami Herald. It was then intended to install Sanon as the new president at the presidential palace.

The Miami Herald reported, "Sanon has lived in Florida for over 20 years" and "he also filed for bankruptcy in court in 2013."

Meanwhile, Haitian police announced that they are investigating two other masterminds who had contact with Sanon. Additionally, the Miami Herald reported that the security officials responsible for President Mo?se's protection are currently under house arrest as part of the investigation into their involvement in the incident.