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A U.S. financier living in Florida was arrested Tuesday in the slaying of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse

Miami, Florida — A Florida-based U.S. financier was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the death of Haitian President Jovenel Mose. This is part of the U.S. government’s investigation, which is moving faster than the investigation in Haiti.

His lawyer, Tama Kudman, told The Associated Press that Walter Veintemilla was charged with conspiring to kill or kidnap a person outside the U.S. and conspiring to and giving material support and resources that led to death.

She said, “He will plead not guilty to both charges.”

Some of the people who are suspected of killing the president in July 2021 are a group of former Colombian soldiers. It is still not clear why they did it or who was really behind it. Authorities have said that a security company in Miami that hired the mercenaries for the job got money from Veintemilla.

Kudman confirmed that he had been arrested before the U.S. Justice Department held a press conference to talk about several arrests in the case.

When the news came out that Mose had been killed, Claude Joseph, who was the prime minister at the time, cheered. He tweeted, “Justice must win,” along with a picture of a press release from the U.S. government.

Martine Mose, the president’s widow, was shot during the attack but survived. Earlier this month, she called for a special U.N. tribunal to be set up to look into the assassination, saying that the case has been blocked for 19 months by political and legal issues.

She said, “There are killers out there.”

Eight suspects are now in U.S. custody. James Solages and Joseph Vincent, two Haitian-Americans who were among the first people arrested after Mose was shot 12 times at his home in July 2021, are key players. Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a pastor and failed businessman, is also a suspect. His friends think he was tricked by the real masterminds, who haven’t been caught yet.

Former Haitian Senator John Jol Joseph, who had fled to Jamaica, and Rodolphe Jaar, a Haitian businessman who used to work for the U.S. government and was extradited from the Dominican Republic, are also being held.

As the U.S. investigation into Mose’s murder in July 2021 moves forward, the investigation in Haiti is almost done. Three judges quit the case because they were afraid they would be killed, and a fourth judge was fired. Meanwhile, none of the more than 40 suspects who were arrested in Haiti have been brought before a judge yet. Many of them, including 18 Colombian soldiers, are being held in an overcrowded jail in Port-au-Prince that often runs out of food and water.

Alfred Duncan

Alfred Duncan is a senior editor at The South Florida Daily, where he oversees our coverage of politics, misinformation, health and economics. Alfred is a former reporter and editor for BuzzFeed News, National Geographic and USA Today.

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