MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Former Haitian Senator arrested in Jamaica for Moïse's killing

Moïse was apparently working on a list of politicians involved in drug trafficking

A former Haitian senator has been arrested in Jamaica in connection with the July 7 magnicide of President Jovenel Moïse in Port-au-Prince, it was reported.

Haitian authorities said former senator John Joel Joseph “was wanted as a suspect in the murder of President” Moïse. The former lawmaker was with his family in a residence in Saint Elizabeth, a district located in the southwest of Jamaica.

According to Jamaican Police sources, Joseph was arrested early Saturday and transferred to a police facility. “A Haitian national: Jean Joel Joseph and three members of his family were arrested in Jamaica on immigration-related charges,” according to a statement.

Former opposition Senator Joseph was a fugitive in a rural community where he had been hiding with his wife and two children since December when he arrived in the island by sea.

An commando group made up mostly of former Colombian elite troops assassinated Moïse July 7, 2021, a case for which there are around 40 people detained. Möise's wife was injured in the attack but she survived and was flown to the United States for medical treatment.

The US Congress last Friday ordered the State Department to carry out a “detailed” investigation into Moïse's assassination and also into the investigation of the crime to find out if there was any interference and also if any of those accused have worked at some point for the US government.

According to Colombian police, the detainees said they planned to kidnap Möise and hand him over to the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

In December 2021, the New York Times published an investigation in which it reported that Moïse was making a list of politicians and businessmen linked to drug trafficking in his country to send to the United States. Apparently those who murdered him wanted to get hold of that list.