HAITI · JUSTICE
The man accused of helping to organise the 2021 murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse now faces a federal prosecution in the United States. Joseph Félix Badio, a former Haitian anti-corruption official, appeared in a federal court in Miami, Florida, on Monday 21 September 2026 with 17 other defendants handed over by Haiti.
For US readers, the case matters because a US court, not a Haitian one, is now deciding it. No trial date is public for these defendants.
Key Facts
- Who Joseph Félix Badio, a former official of Haiti’s justice ministry, faces charges including conspiracy in a US federal court.
- What He appeared in Miami on 21 September 2026 with 17 other defendants handed over by Haiti.
- Case The charges concern the murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse on 7 July 2021.
- Next No trial date is public for these defendants; the indictment names about 30 people in total.
What We Know About the Case
Jovenel Moïse, Haiti’s president, was shot dead at his home near Port-au-Prince on Wednesday 7 July 2021. His wife, Martine Moïse, was wounded in the attack.
Haitian police arrested Badio on Thursday 19 October 2023 after about two years on the run. He had worked in the anti-corruption unit of Haiti’s justice ministry, from which he was dismissed shortly before the killing.
On Monday 21 September 2026, Badio and 17 other defendants appeared before a US magistrate judge in Miami after Haiti handed them over. Reports describe the 17 others as Colombian mercenaries, and prosecutors allege Badio posed as a US drug agent.
Why a Florida Court Holds the Case
US authorities allege the plot was planned and financed in large part in South Florida, which is why the case is in Miami. A federal court is a US national court that hears crimes under US law.
In May 2026, a federal jury in Miami convicted four men of conspiring to kill or kidnap the president and related charges over the same plot. The September group is separate and larger, and the indictment names about 30 people in total.
A separate trial of Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a Haitian-American pastor charged in the same plot, opened in Miami in late September 2026. We have not found a verdict.
In Plain English
- Badio: a former official of the anti-corruption unit of Haiti’s justice ministry, accused of conspiracy in the murder of the president.
- Magistrate judge: a US federal judge who handles first hearings, such as appointing lawyers and setting dates.
- Indictment: the formal list of charges a US grand jury brings; the people named in it are presumed innocent until a court rules.
What It Means for US Readers
A US trial may establish who planned the murder, a question that has stayed open since 2021. Our explainer on who holds real power in Haiti shows why the country’s own justice system struggles to act.
Readers following the country can start with our explainers on what is happening in Haiti and Haiti’s history. More is in our Haiti coverage.
What Is Not Known
It is not known when a trial will start for these defendants, whether Badio will cooperate with prosecutors, or who financed the plot. We have not seen any report of a plea in a court record.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Joseph Félix Badio?
He is a former official of the anti-corruption unit of Haiti’s justice ministry. He is charged in a US federal court in Miami in connection with the 2021 murder of President Jovenel Moïse.
Why Is the Case in a US Court?
Haiti handed Badio and 17 other defendants to US authorities in September 2026. US authorities allege the plot was planned and financed in large part in South Florida.
Who Else Is Charged?
The indictment names about 30 people in total. In May 2026 a Miami jury convicted four men over the same plot.
When Is the Trial?
No date is public for these defendants. We have not seen any report of a plea in a court record.
Sources: US prosecution of the Moïse case, hearing of 21 September 2026 in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, as publicly reported; verdict of 8 May 2026 in the same court; trial of Christian Emmanuel Sanon, from 28 September 2026, as publicly reported.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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