Colombian Involved in Assassination of Haiti President Indicted in the US

▲Jovenel Mo?se, President of Haiti, killed by assailants [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] A former Colombian soldier involved in the assassination of the Haitian president has been indicted in the United States.

On the 4th (local time), according to major foreign media, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that it indicted Mario Antonio Palacios (43), a Colombian national, on charges of conspiring to assassinate Haitian President Jovenel Mo?se.

In a statement released that day, the Department of Justice said, "Palacios participated in a conspiracy with more than 20 Colombians and Haitian Americans to kidnap or kill the Haitian president."

Palacios, who had been wanted by Haitian authorities, was arrested in Jamaica last October and was extradited to the United States in Panama, a transit point, while being sent back to his home country Colombia the day before.

Since President Mo?se was shot and killed by assailants who broke into his residence in the early morning of July 7 last year, Haitian police have arrested about 40 people, including around 20 Colombian mercenaries with military backgrounds.

Major foreign media explained that since none of the suspects arrested in Haiti have yet been indicted, Palacios is the first suspect to be officially charged in connection with the presidential assassination case.

Having served in the Colombian military for 20 years, he appeared in plain clothes with handcuffs at the federal court in Miami, Florida, U.S., that afternoon.

Earlier, Haitian police stated that Palacios was one of the five members of the "Delta Team" who directly entered President Mo?se's bedroom.

Palacios testified that he was hired by U.S. authorities to kidnap President Mo?se at the airport and bring him, and that he was only informed the day before the incident that it was an assassination operation.

Some other Colombian mercenaries arrested in Haiti have claimed that they were hired for security and other duties and were unaware that the mission was to assassinate the president.

Meanwhile, Ariel Henry, the prime minister who is effectively in charge of the government in place of the vacant presidency, was attacked by a gang during the Independence Day event on the 1st.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.