Suspect In Haitian President's Murder Charged In Miami Federal Court
MIAMI (CBSMiami/AP) - A man who was extradited to the U.S. to face charges in connection to the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse made his first appearance in Miami federal court on Thursday.
Arrested in the Dominican Republic last month, Rodolphe Jaar is charged with conspiring to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States and providing material support resulting in death, knowing or intending that such material support would be used to prepare for or carry out the conspiracy to kill or kidnap.
Jaar, who was convicted of drug-trafficking charges a decade ago, once served as an informant for the U.S. government.
He is the second foreigner extradited to the United States to face charges related to the assassination of the Haitian president.
Earlier in January, U.S. authorities arrested a former Colombian soldier, Mario Antonio Palacios, after he fled from Haiti to Jamaica. A Jamaican judge ordered him deported to Colombia, but he was detained in Panama during a layover by U.S. authorities who had been in touch with him while he was still in hiding.
Palacious is charged with conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States, and providing material support resulting in death, knowing that such support would be used to carry out a plot to kill the Haitian president.
The arrests come more than six months after the squad allegedly made up of former Colombian soldiers, Haitian police officers and others went to the president's residence to carry out his assassination. More than 40 people have been arrested in the case.
According to the federal complaint, Jaar was responsible for providing weapons to the former Colombian soldiers to carry out the attack. Several of the them also stayed at a residence controlled by Jaar. After the assassination, Jaar allegedly communicated with one of the co-conspitators and others to assist the Colombians while they were in hiding from Haitian authorities.
Jaar was assigned a public defender in court. The US government want him detained until trial.
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)