Moise Hitmen Nabbed: Florida Plot Thickens

MIAMI – The long arm of the law finally caught up with four more alleged players in the brutal assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise. U.S. federal agents descended on South Florida and Tampa today, arresting individuals directly linked to the July 7, 2021, hit. This brings the total number of defendants facing charges in the Southern District of Florida to eleven, as a grand jury delivered a damning third superseding indictment.

Those cuffed today include Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, 50, a Colombian national and U.S. permanent resident of Miami; Antonio Intriago, 59, a Venezuelan national and U.S. permanent resident of Miami; Walter Veintemilla, 54, of Weston; and Frederick Bergmann, 64, of Tampa. All four are scheduled for initial court appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lauren F. Louis. They join James Solages, 37, Joseph Vincent, 57, and German Alejandro Rivera Garcia, 44, who were transferred into U.S. custody last month; Mario Antonio Palacios, 43, arrested January 2022; Rodolphe Jaar, 49, arrested January 2022; and Joseph Joel John, 51, arrested May 2022.

The indictment lays out a chilling conspiracy: Ortiz, Intriago, Veintemilla, Solages, Vincent, Rivera, Palacios, Jaar, and John are all charged with conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a conspiracy to kidnap or kill outside the United States, resulting in death; providing material support and resources to a conspiracy to kidnap or kill outside the United States, resulting in death; and conspiracy to kill or kidnap a person outside the United States. Adding to the charges, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 64, and Bergmann face accusations of conspiracy to commit export violations, submitting false export information, and smuggling ballistic vests to Haiti.

Court documents paint a picture of South Florida as the nerve center of this deadly plot, operating from at least February 2021. Ortiz and Intriago, principals of companies Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy and Counter Terrorist Unit Security (CTU), allegedly schemed with Sanon, a dual Haitian-American with political ambitions, to oust President Moise. The deal? Lucrative contracts for CTU—infrastructure projects, security forces, and military equipment—once Sanon was installed as president. Veintemilla, through his company Worldwide Capital Lending Group (Worldwide), allegedly facilitated the scheme, extending a $175,000 line of credit to CTU and funneling money to Haiti for ammunition, expecting a hefty payout when Moise was gone.

The alleged planning and financial transactions continued unabated through June 2021. The indictment details a clear quid pro quo: political upheaval in Haiti in exchange for cold, hard cash. Federal investigators are now meticulously tracing the money and connections, determined to expose every individual involved in this brazen act of political violence. The question now isn’t *if* more arrests are coming, but *when*.

This case is a stark reminder that international crime often has deep roots in American soil. Grimy Times will continue to follow this developing story, bringing you the unvarnished truth as it unfolds. Expect further revelations as the legal process grinds forward, and the full scope of this conspiracy comes to light.