On the Brink: Investigating the Murder of Haiti’s President

The investigation into the murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moise continued this week. Dr. Emmanuel Sanon, a Haitian American physician residing in Florida, is a key suspect. According to Haitian National Police Chief Leon Charles Joseph, Sanon “landed by private jet in June with political intentions and called a secret security agency to hire the persons who did this act.” According to sources in Haiti, allegedly the intent of the assassins was to arrest Moise and install Sanon as president. The police chief did not specify when the goal of the gunmen changed to killing Moise or the process by which Sanon would assume power. Sanon has a YouTube account featuring three political campaign films from 2011 with conversations about Haitian politics. He discussed corruption in Haiti and promoted himself as a prospective leader in at least one of the films titled "Dr. Christian Sanon - Leadership for Haiti.”

Sanon is just one of several persons of interest. Haitian authorities have also taken Dimitri Herard, head of security at the presidential residence, into custody. Initial reports of the events surrounding the assassination indicated the gunmen entered the presidential residence and encountered no resistance from security forces. Additionally, Herard’s international travel is being scrutinized. He traveled to Ecuador through Bogota, Columbia at the end of May. Authorities are trying to determine if he met with any of the Colombian nationals involved in the assassination.

Although two suspects have been detained who are central to the investigation, the motivations for the assassination remain unclear. Investigators discovered items related to the presidential assassination at Sanon’s home. Those items included a cap with the US Drug Enforcement Administration's logo on it, 20 packs of ammunition, gun parts, four Dominican Republic license plates, two automobiles, and correspondence with unidentified persons.

Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph is in charge for the time being. However, two days before his death, Moise dismissed him and named a replacement Ariel Henry, a neurosurgeon. Mr. Joseph is currently reorganizing the administration, but Mr. Henry has asked him to resign.

The Pentagon has deployed a special team to Haiti to help with the investigation. This interagency team consists of officers from the Department of Homeland security and the FBI. On Thursday, a committee comprised of members from all sectors of Haitian civil society gathered to finalize a political agreement that will choose a new president. As interim prime minister, Joseph requested the US send soldiers to Haiti to defend critical infrastructure so the country’s leadership could unite and organize parliamentary and presidential elections as soon as possible.

The investigation of the Haitian president’s assassination is still incomplete and ongoing. The challenge for the Haitian government is to determine the motive for this occurrence, stabilize the central government and the economy and ensure a peaceful transition of power to a new administration. This is a daunting task, but one that must be accomplished successfully for the island nation to survive and thrive.