Pictured: Florida doctor arrested over Haiti assassination

Jovenel Moise's assassination has plunged already troubled Haiti - the poorest country in the western hemisphere - into chaos

Christian Emmanuel Sanon
US doctor Christian Emmanuel Sanon has been blamed for the assassination of Haiti's president

A US-based doctor who flew into Haiti last month on a private jet has been accused of being the mastermind behind the assasination of President Jovenel Moise and wanted to take power for himself.

Christian Emmanuel Sanon had 20 boxes of bullets, gun parts and a hat emblazoned with the logo of the US Drug Enforcement Administration and was the first person called by one of the alleged assassins after the nighttime raid on the president’s home, according to police.

Leon Charles, head of the Haitian National Police told a press conference: “He arrived by private plane in June with political objectives and contacted a private security firm to recruit the people who committed this act.

“The initial mission that was given to these assailants was to protect the individual named Emmanuel Sanon, but afterwards the mission changed,” Mr. Charles said.

The police chief said Haitian authorities obtained the information from interrogations and other parts of the investigation.

Prime Minister Claude Joseph speaks during a news conference following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise
Prime Minister Claude Joseph speaks during a news conference following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise Credit: REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo

According to Haitian authorities, a 28-member hit squad burst into Moise's family home and opened fire on him and his wife, Martine.

The president was killed and his wife gravely injured. She was airlifted to a Miami hospital for treatment.

The gang was made up of Colombians and two US-Haitian citizens, according to authorities.

The FBI and other US officials are in Haiti assisting with the investigation, while Colombia has also offered its support following the revelation that a number of the alleged hit squad were former Colombian army personnel.

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Mr Sanon, who is accused of being their leader, has lived in Florida and Kansas City, Missouri. He filed for bankruptcy in 2013 and identifies himself as a doctor in a video on YouTube titled "Leadership for Haiti."

In the video, he denounces the leaders of Haiti as corrupt, accusing them of stripping the country of its resources, saying that "they don't care about the country, they don't care about the people."

He claims Haiti has uranium, oil and other resources that have been taken by government officials. "With me in power, you are going to have to tell me: 'What are you doing with my uranium? What are you doing with the oil that we have in the country? What are you going to do with the gold?"'

He also added: "This is a country with resources. Nine million people can't be in poverty when we have so much resources in the country. It's impossible. ... The world has to stop doing what they are doing right now. We can't take it anymore. We need new leadership that will change the way of life."

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