Suspect in the assassination of Haiti’s president arrested in Miami

One of the main suspects in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was arrested on Tuesday in Miami by Homeland Security agents after he landed in the city from Panama.

The suspect was identified as Mario Palacios Palacios, also known as 'Floro'. He is due to appear in court on Tuesday afternoon. Palacios is the first person to be charged in Moïse's murder, reported The Miami Herald.

FBI and Department of Homeland Security investigators charged him for conspiracy to "provide material support in the assassination of a foreign leader and conspiracy to kidnap and kill a foreign leader.”

There are 39 suspects in custody in Haiti, including four police officers. None of them have been charged. Another suspect died from COVID-19 while under surveillance.

It is unknown how Palacios managed to travel from Panama to the United States. However, he was detained in Jamaica for violating immigration laws and was close to being deported to Colombia, his native country.

Haitian police believe Palacios was among 26 Colombians and two Haitians who raided Moïse's residence in the early morning of July 7, located in the Pelerin neighborhood of Port-au-Prince.

The death of the Haitian president worsened the political crisis that has prevailed for years in the Caribbean country.

Mario Palacios Palacios is a former military officer who managed to escape from the crime. According to the investigation, the suspect had entered Moïse's private residence at the time of the murder.