US Reportedly Arrests 3 Men in Connection With Assassination of Ex-Haitian President Moise

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States arrested three American men in connection with the assassination of former Haitian president Jovenel Moise in July 2021, US media reported on Tuesday.

US federal agents arrested Antonio Intriago, Arcangel Pretel Ortiz and Walter Veintemilla over alleged ties to Moise’s assassination through a Florida-based security company, the report said, citing Intriago’s lawyer.

Intriago was arrested Tuesday morning in Miami and intends to enter a not guilty plea at a bond hearing this afternoon, attorney Joseph Tesmond reportedly said.

The three men are tied to Florida-based company CTU Security, which recruited former Colombian soldiers to aid in the assault on Moise’s residence, the report said.

Shortly after Moise’s assassination, Intriago released a statement claiming he was unaware of plans to kill the former president. The initial plan was to arrest and replace Moise, Intriago said in the statement.

Tesmond also confirmed the arrests of Pretel and Veintemilla, the report said. Veintemilla lent $172,000 to CTU Security to fund their operations in Haiti, the report said.

The charges against the three men remain unclear, the report added.

Moise was shot and killed in his home by assailants on July 7, 2021. The attack also wounded his wife. Although approximately two dozen arrests have been made in the case across Haiti and the US, investigators are struggling to identify the assassination’s masterminds, the report said.