A federal jury in Miami convicted four men on Friday for their involvement in the conspiracy behind the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages were found guilty on multiple charges, including:
- Conspiracy to provide material support for a violation resulting in death
- Providing material support to carry out the plot
- Conspiracy to kill or kidnap a person outside the United States
- Conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States
- Expedition against a friendly nation (violation of the U.S. Neutrality Act)
Antonio Intriago also faced additional convictions for smuggling goods and submitting false export information.
The men were linked to a Miami-area security firm, Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) Federal Academy, which prosecutors described as the central hub for recruiting and equipping former Colombian soldiers as mercenaries. Prosecutors stated that South Florida served as the main planning and funding base for the operation that led to the deadly raid on President Moïse’s private residence in Port-au-Prince on July 7, 2021.
The defendants were not accused of carrying out the assassination themselves but of organizing, financing, and supporting the commando team that killed the president and wounded First Lady Martine Moïse.
Impact and Sentencing
Moïse’s assassination triggered a severe political and security crisis in Haiti that continues to this day, fueling widespread gang violence and a major humanitarian emergency.
All four men now face the possibility of life sentences. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Becerra will issue final sentences after reviewing sentencing guidelines.
This verdict brings the total number of suspects convicted or in U.S. custody in connection with the case to at least 11. Several other Colombian mercenaries involved have already pleaded guilty or been convicted in related proceedings.
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