Colombia ex-soldiers 'in on plot to kill Haiti president'

Colombia’s President Iván Duque says a number of the Colombian suspects within the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse had “detailed knowledge” of the decide to kill the leader.

Mr Moïse was shot dead last week in his home and his wife injured.

Haitian police say a gaggle of mercenaries mainly made from Colombian ex-soldiers killed Mr Moïse.

Mr Duque said most of the Colombians had been duped as they were told they might work as bodyguards in Haiti.

But there was a smaller group among them with detailed knowledge of the operation, he told Colombia’s FM radio.

Of the 28 men imagined to have made up the commando which killed Mr Moïse, about two were Colombians while the opposite two were US citizens of Haitian descent.

The US defence department has since revealed that a number of the Colombians received training within the US while they were within the Colombian army.

A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) source also told Reuters press agency that one among the Haitian-American suspects was a “confidential source” for the DEA.

Haitian officials said that the assailants had disguised themselves as DEA agents.

In a video purportedly shot shortly before the attack outside the president’s residence a person are often heard shouting in English “DEA operation, everybody stay down!”.

The Haitian police has also arrested a Haitian doctor, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, whom they described as a “key suspect” within the assassination.

The 63-year-old Florida resident arrived in Haiti on a personal jet in June and police said they found a DEA cap also as weapons and ammunition in his possession.

A New York Times (NYT) investigation suggests that Mr Sanon and variety of other suspects met to debate what would happen to Haiti once Mr Moïse was not in power.

But a person present at a number of the meetings told the NYT that Mr Moïse’s assassination wasn’t discussed.

Police are still checking out what they call the “mastermind” behind the plot.

By NFL

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