Phénil Gordon Désir, a Haitian attorney and political party leader sought in connection with President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination, was arrested in Pétion-Ville during an operation involving Haiti’s judicial police and Interpol, Vant Bèf Info reported. The Miami Herald reported a different account of the arrest location: Désir’s lawyer said it occurred outside his law office, next to the Dominican Republic consulate.
Haiti’s National Police confirmed Désir’s detention, according to N Digital, which reported that he was being held at the Central Directorate of Judicial Police headquarters. The Miami Herald later reported that Désir had been turned over to FBI agents in Port-au-Prince. That report updates N Digital’s account, which said Haitian authorities had not officially confirmed that a transfer had been approved or scheduled.
A Haitian government source cited by Le Nouvelliste alleged that Désir helped prepare the plot and provide logistical support, and said he would be sent to the United States. These are allegations, not a finding of guilt. The Miami Herald reported that a Haitian investigative judge indicted Désir along with 50 others, including former first lady Martine Moïse, and that Désir appealed the charges. The Herald also reported that testimony and messages presented in the U.S. trial of Christian Emmanuel Sanon implicated Désir; the detailed evidence described in that coverage is not recounted here.
The case spans proceedings in Haiti and the United States
The assassination case has had no trial in Haiti, while U.S. proceedings have resulted in convictions and guilty pleas, the Haitian Times reported. In May, a federal jury in Miami convicted Arcángel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla and James Solages for their roles in the conspiracy, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Désir’s reported handover comes against the backdrop of a dispute over the earlier transfer of 18 suspects from Haiti to the United States. Haiti’s Superior Council of the Judiciary said that transfer took place without the investigating judge’s authorization and violated judicial independence, the Haitian Times reported. The U.S. Attorney’s Office described the movement of those defendants as a transfer to face federal charges. The cited reporting establishes that the Miami Herald reported Désir was handed to FBI agents, but does not establish what legal process governed his transfer.
