Haiti Police Say Arrested Suspect Linked to Assassination Masterminds

The head of Haiti’s national police said Sunday authorities arrested a Haitian man who flew to the country on a private jet in June and — according to police — worked with the masterminds and alleged killers of President Jovenel Moïse. Police Chief Léon Charles identified the man as Christian Emmanuel Sanon and said he traveled to Haiti with political objectives. Charles said Sanon was accompanied by hired security guards who had an initial mission of protecting Sanon, but who were then tasked with arresting Moïse. The police chief also said that after Moïse’s assassination last week, one of the suspected attackers called Sanon, and that Sanon called two yet-unnamed people whom police consider masterminds of the killing.Police security is seen during the Haiti’s interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph news conference in Port-au-Prince, July 12, 2021.Charles said police have arrested 18 Colombians and 3 Haitians in connection with the attack, and that at least five other people were believed to still be at large. He said after interrogations of those in custody, police believe at least some of the suspects were hired by Miami-based company CTU Security. Moïse was shot to death at his home in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital, early Wednesday. His wife, Martine Moïse, was seriously wounded in the attack and taken to Miami for treatment. The United States on Sunday sent a technical team to Haiti to assess its security and other needs. The team includes personnel from the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The United States earlier rejected Haiti’s request for troops to quell sporadic violence linked to the assassination. The Biden administration official said the U.S. would also consult with its regional partners on the Haitian turmoil and the United Nations.  Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, AFP and Reuters.  

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