Main Suspect in Moise Assassination Arrested

Authorities capture former justice official in Haiti's capital after 2 years on the lam.

Joseph Badio, a former justice official and a main suspect in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, was arrested after being on the run for more than two years. He was arrested in the neighborhood of Petion Vile in Port-au-Prince.
Badio was previously employed by Haiti’s Ministry of Justice and the government's anti-corruption unit, but was dismissed due to allegations of ethics violations weeks before the assassination took place.
In the wake of Moïse's assassination, several people were arrested, including 11 men who are now in U.S. custody. U.S. prosecutors allege a widespread plot among conspirators in both Haiti and Florida to hire mercenaries, commit the assassination, and similarly profit from future contracts under a succeeding administration.
Former Haitian senator, John Joel Joseph, one of the 11 men in US custody, recently pleaded guilty to charges related to the assassination. His sentencing is scheduled for December 19. Two other people, Haitian-Chilean businessman Rodolphe Jaar and former Colombian soldier German Alejandro Rivera Garcia, have also pleaded guilty, with Jaar receiving a life sentence.
Following Moïse's assassination, Haiti has experienced a surge in gang violence leading the Prime Minister to request the deployment of armed forces. The U.N. Security Council voted early October to send a Kenya-led multinational force to combat the increased gang activities.