A convicted drug trafficker pleaded guilty in US federal court on Friday to his involvement in the 2021 assassination of Haiti’s president.
Rodolphe Jaar, 50, pleaded guilty in Miami, Florida to conspiracy to provide material support, providing material support and conspiracy to kidnap and kill President Jovenel Moise, according to court records.
Jaar, a Haitian-Chilean national, is the first of 11 U.S. defendants to be convicted of the conspiracy. His sentencing is scheduled for June 2.
Dozens have been arrested in Haiti, but cases have effectively stalled amid death threats that have terrified local judges.
On July 7, 2021, Moise was shot 12 times in his private home near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.
Although the killing took place in Haiti, prosecutors believe much of the planning and financing took place in South Florida.
Authorities said the original plan was to capture Moises weeks earlier and fly him to an undisclosed location, but that fell through when the suspects couldn’t find the plane or enough weapons.
According to court documents, Jaar provided weapons, food and housing to Colombian special forces and others.
As part of a deal with prosecutors, Jaar provided information to help federal agents build stronger cases against the remaining 10 defendants in U.S. custody.
Jaar was previously convicted of cocaine trafficking in 2013 and sentenced to four years and three months in prison.
