In Miami on Tuesday, a former Haitian senator, John Joel Joseph, was sentenced to life in prison for conspiring to kill President Jovenel Moïse in 2021.
This plot, involving 11 suspects, caused unprecedented turmoil in Haiti.
Joseph, extradited from Jamaica in June, cooperated with the investigation after signing a plea agreement, hoping for a sentence reduction.
Despite his plea for mercy, the federal judge handed down the maximum sentence, citing the dangerous territory involved in the assassination plan.
Two others, Rodolphe Jaar and Germán Alejandro Rivera García, were also sentenced to life, while more defendants await trial.
Since Moïse’s assassination, Haiti has faced increased gang violence, prompting a request for armed force deployment, and a multinational force led by Kenya is expected to deploy by February.
The U.N. Security Council approved this deployment to assist in combating the surge in gang violence.
