Crucial Suspect Captured by Haiti in President Jovenel Moise's Assassination Case

A former official from Haiti's justice ministry named Joseph Felix Badio has been arrested by the Haitian police. He is suspected of being involved in the assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Badio was apprehended while attempting to leave a supermarket car park in the capital city, Port-au-Prince. President Moise was killed in his bedroom in 2021 by Colombian mercenaries, most of whom have been arrested or killed since then. Following his murder, Haiti experienced a prolonged political crisis and witnessed an alarming rise in lawlessness. In the aftermath of Moise's death, criminal gangs quickly escalated their control over Port-au-Prince, including vital infrastructure and the main fuel port. Badio is accused of giving instructions to hitmen to carry out the attack. He faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and armed robbery. Local media reports state that a few months before the assassination, Badio was fired from his position as an anti-corruption official in the justice ministry due to allegations of accepting bribes in exchange for the release of a prisoner. Some of the hitmen who were arrested shortly after the assassination claim that Badio, 60 years old, gave them their orders. The US has also implicated others in the case, including former Haitian senator John Joel Joseph and Haitian-Chilean businessman Rodolphe Jaar, who have been convicted. Antonio Intriago, a Venezuelan-American and owner of Florida-based CTU Security, has been accused by the US of hiring the hitmen and faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping. Since Moise's death, the unelected Haitian government has struggled to provide basic services to its citizens. According to a recent UN report, gangs have taken control of a significant portion of the capital, running schools and clinics, while also terrorizing the population and engaging in territorial clashes. The escalating violence has resulted in thousands of Haitians being displaced from their homes in Port-au-Prince, with numerous casualties already reported this year. The UN recently approved the deployment of an international force to assist Haiti's police in restoring order, with Kenya offering to lead the multinational force. However, few countries have committed personnel, and the deployment has yet to materialize.