Fraudulently obtained funds from U.S. government programs created during the COVID-19 pandemic allegedly helped finance the plot that ended with the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, according to federal prosecutors in the United States.
Prosecutors allege that South Florida served as a center for planning and financing the operation. Some of the money obtained through programs including the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans was allegedly used to purchase weapons and tactical equipment and to recruit former Colombian soldiers who took part in the July 7, 2021, attack.
The case has gained renewed attention after 18 men detained in Haiti were transferred to the United States to face charges in federal court in Miami.
