Haiti police reject reports implicating government officials in assassination

Authorities in Haiti on Thursday forcefully pushed back against reports that current government officials were involved in the killing of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, calling them "a lie."

Leon Charles, head of Haiti's national police, denied a report from Caracol news, a Colombian-based private TV station, that claimed interim prime minister Claude Joseph was the mastermind of the July 7 killing.

"The police warns of all propaganda creating a diversion," he said, adding that police have no evidence to support those claims.

Haitian authorities have otherwise not been very forthcoming with information about who might have been behind the killing, suggesting that media reports implicating current officials had struck a nerve in the government.

Interim president Claude Joseph speaks during a news conference at his residence in Port-au-Prince on July 8. (Joseph Odelyn/The Associated Press)

In Colombia, Gen. Jorge Luis Vargas, the head of that country's national police force, told reporters that he had no information suggesting Joseph had any role in the plot

Charles also said the head of Moïse's security detail, Dimitri Herard, had been removed from his post and placed in isolated detention after officials interrogated him. Police had announced his detention in recent days. Charles said authorities will meet with him a third time before deciding the next steps.

Herard has not officially been named as a suspect in the investigation, but many Haitians have questioned how attackers could have invaded the president's house and killed him with no injuries among those assigned to protect him.

The news conference was held a day after the Colombian TV station aired a report it said was based on information from FBI sources and Haitian authorities, as well as telephone calls, pictures and testimony from those accused of participating in the plot.

"I'm issuing a formal denial to these allegations," Charles said, calling them "a lie."

FBI agents in Haiti

Joseph, the interim prime minister, was about to be replaced when the assassination occurred. Moïse had named him to the post in April following the resignation of Joseph Jouthe, who held the post for just over a year.

Two days before the assassination, Moïse announced that he had chosen a new prime minister, neurosurgeon Ariel Henry. But the new prime minister had not yet been sworn into office as of July 7, and Joseph has insisted he is in charge of the government, a claim that has been recognized by the U.S. and others. 

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Charles said police have arrested 23 people in the killing, including 18 former Colombian soldiers, three Haitians and two Haitian Americans. Police also have issued seven arrest warrants, searched 10 buildings, conducted 27 interrogations and placed four high-ranking police officers in isolation, he said.

He added that the investigation has benefited from the help of the FBI and foreign countries that he did not name.

On Thursday, a group of FBI agents gathered at Moïse's private home and met with other officials; as they entered and exited the compound under the gaze of curious onlookers, Haitian police officers walked to their vehicles with bags containing unknown items.

Eight FBI agents are on the ground in Haiti helping with the probe, said a senior Biden administration official, who agreed to give the information only if not quoted by name because he was not authorized to comment publicly. In addition, officials from the Justice Department's criminal and national security divisions, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. attorney's office for the southern district of Florida are working with Haitian national police.

President Jovenel Moïse, who was assassinated at his home on July 7, speaks during a ceremony at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince on Oct. 30, 2020. (Andres Martinez Casares/Reuters)

The U.S. law enforcement officials are focused on tracing the origin of weapons used in the attack, investigating any possible U.S. link to the killing and looking into potential charges that could be filed against anyone involved in the United States.

Haiti had also requested U.S. military assistance, which President Joe Biden said Thursday is "not on the agenda."  But the president did say the U.S. will bolster security at its embassy in Haiti.

The administration official added that a U.S. delegation that arrived in Haiti Sunday visited the airport and seaport in Port-au-Prince and discussed additional training and equipment that could be provided to secure that critical infrastructure.

The official noted international "fatigue" for Haiti, adding that U.S. officials said they made clear to the competing Haitian factions that building a coalition government would go far to "re-energize support" in the international community.

Colombian president says soldiers were duped

On Thursday, Colombian President Ivan Duque told private radio station La FM that only a small group of the former Colombian soldiers linked to the killing knew it was going to be a criminal operation. He said the others were duped and thought they would be traveling for a mission to provide protection.

"Once they were over there, the information they were given changed," Duque said, adding that "they ended up involved in these unfortunate events."

The Pentagon issued a statement saying a small number of the Colombian suspects had previously received U.S. military training and education programs while serving in the Colombian military. It said it had no additional details to offer pending a review that is still in progress.

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