A federal jury in Miami found four South Florida men guilty of plotting the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. The defendants, linked to a Miami-based security firm, hired over two dozen Colombian mercenaries to overthrow him, believing they acted on a legitimate court order. The killing triggered years of gang violence in Haiti, displacing over a million people.

Prosecutors argued the defendants sought to install a puppet president to seize multibillion-dollar development contracts, motivated by greed and power. The security firm's owners, Arcángel Pretel and Antonio Intriago, along with James Solages and Walter Veintemilla, faced charges including conspiracy and violating U.S. neutrality laws. Six others have already pleaded guilty, with most receiving life sentences.

Defense teams claimed the Colombians were hired to arrest Moïse, not kill him, and questioned evidence, including bullets that didn't match the president's wounds. The trial revealed a shadowy plot but left unanswered questions about who ordered the hit, with much evidence classified. A fifth defendant, pastor Christian Sanon, is set for trial later this year.

The verdict underscores the ongoing chaos in Haiti, where gangs control large parts of Port-au-Prince and elections remain impossible. While justice was served for the mercenaries, the root causes of instability persist.