Assassination of Jovenel Moïse: No fingerprints or DNA analysis at the crime scene, reveals an FBI agent
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince · · 4 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
More than four years after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, new elements reveal significant shortcomings in the criminal investigation conducted on site. During the ongoing federal trial in Miami, a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) admitted on Friday, March 13, that no fingerprints or DNA samples had been taken at the crime scene.
Agent Martin Suarez, called to the stand by the prosecution, stated that he and his team had observed, upon their arrival at the scene, bullet impacts on the walls and windows, as well as traces of blood on the bed where Moïse lay before being killed. Despite these observations, no blood samples were taken for forensic analysis, he admitted.
“We did our best on site, but timing played a role,” Suarez declared.
Dozens of material elements — more than 40 potential pieces of evidence — were also not seized by the FBI, according to testimony. These elements, including shell casings, ammunition boxes, telephones, radios, and even a stun grenade, were reportedly confiscated by the Haitian police before the arrival of federal agents.
“Once this evidence was sealed, it was taken from us, and the search stopped there.”
— Agent Martin Suarez, during his testimony A Trial Focused on the Crime Scene The trial concerns four men from South Florida accused of conspiring to assassinate the Haitian president. According to the prosecution, they allegedly hired a Colombian commando to kill Moïse to obtain government contracts from his successor. Among the defendants are Arcángel Pretel Ortiz, a Colombian and former FBI informant; Antonio Intriago, a Venezuelan-American and owner of a security company; James Solages, a Haitian-American employed by Intriago; and Walter Veintemilla, an Ecuadorian-American suspected of having contributed to the financing of the operation. Defense lawyers dispute these accusations, asserting that the Colombians only contributed to Moïse's arrest and that it was Haitian forces, particularly the presidential bodyguards, who killed him. A fifth defendant, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a doctor born in Haiti, is to be tried later for health reasons. All defendants are held at the federal center in Miami. A Delayed Autopsy and Gray Areas President Moïse had succumbed to a dozen bullets during the attack on July 7, 2021, at his residence in Pèlerin 5, in the commune of Pétion-Ville. However, the autopsy was only performed three days after the events, and it is unknown where the body was kept during this interval, testified Haiti's chief medical examiner. Agent Suarez also admitted not knowing where the president's body had been stored before his burial, and he confirmed that no member of his team had examined the body. Limited and Contested Searches Suarez, with ten years of experience at the FBI, had led the first federal team dispatched to Haiti after the assassination. Arriving on July 13, 2021, he and his agents remained in the country for about two weeks. However, the search of the house, which lasted about six hours, did not result in any in-depth analysis.
Defense lawyers strongly criticized this lack of forensic measures, highlighting the absence of fingerprint or DNA experts. “You sent six people for a search, and you stayed there for six hours? You didn't have time to do thorough work?” — Me David Howard, defense lawyer Suarez replied that there was not enough time to conduct all necessary analyses. During the search, agents found shell casings on the bed and floor, as well as a stun grenade. However, the agent admitted not having consulted any inventory of evidence collected by the Haitian police to verify if similar objects had already been discovered. He had also not inspected the back of the house, where elements were reportedly found during a subsequent FBI visit in 2023. A Complex Political Environment Arriving in Port-au-Prince in the midst of a political crisis, a few days after the assassination, Suarez indicated that his team had initially followed leads provided by Colombian sources and South Florida residents involved in the case. He admitted not having investigated potential political enemies of Moïse or links to drug trafficking, despite the numerous controversies surrounding the president in the months leading up to his death. During interrogations, he could not confirm whether the house was in the same condition as it was before the attack, admitting that the observed disorder could have predated the incident. A Closely Watched Trial During the hearings, the prosecution produced letters from the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI indicating that no evidence was found that the defendants had worked for these agencies. Colombian military records were also presented, demonstrating that some suspects had been trained for over twenty years in special forces. As the trial enters its second week, the absence of forensic evidence collected at the crime scene continues to fuel debates and controversies, while the truth about the assassination of Jovenel Moïse remains at the heart of this extraordinary trial. Political Context After the Assassination The arrival of the FBI team in Haiti occurred in a context of a power struggle, with interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph temporarily at the head of the country, before being replaced by Ariel Henry — himself designated by Moïse before his death, but whose appointment had been contested. The editorial team with Miami Herald
— Agent Martin Suarez, during his testimony A Trial Focused on the Crime Scene The trial concerns four men from South Florida accused of conspiring to assassinate the Haitian president. According to the prosecution, they allegedly hired a Colombian commando to kill Moïse to obtain government contracts from his successor. Among the defendants are Arcángel Pretel Ortiz, a Colombian and former FBI informant; Antonio Intriago, a Venezuelan-American and owner of a security company; James Solages, a Haitian-American employed by Intriago; and Walter Veintemilla, an Ecuadorian-American suspected of having contributed to the financing of the operation. Defense lawyers dispute these accusations, asserting that the Colombians only contributed to Moïse's arrest and that it was Haitian forces, particularly the presidential bodyguards, who killed him. A fifth defendant, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, a doctor born in Haiti, is to be tried later for health reasons. All defendants are held at the federal center in Miami. A Delayed Autopsy and Gray Areas President Moïse had succumbed to a dozen bullets during the attack on July 7, 2021, at his residence in Pèlerin 5, in the commune of Pétion-Ville. However, the autopsy was only performed three days after the events, and it is unknown where the body was kept during this interval, testified Haiti's chief medical examiner. Agent Suarez also admitted not knowing where the president's body had been stored before his burial, and he confirmed that no member of his team had examined the body. Limited and Contested Searches Suarez, with ten years of experience at the FBI, had led the first federal team dispatched to Haiti after the assassination. Arriving on July 13, 2021, he and his agents remained in the country for about two weeks. However, the search of the house, which lasted about six hours, did not result in any in-depth analysis.
Defense lawyers strongly criticized this lack of forensic measures, highlighting the absence of fingerprint or DNA experts. “You sent six people for a search, and you stayed there for six hours? You didn't have time to do thorough work?” — Me David Howard, defense lawyer Suarez replied that there was not enough time to conduct all necessary analyses. During the search, agents found shell casings on the bed and floor, as well as a stun grenade. However, the agent admitted not having consulted any inventory of evidence collected by the Haitian police to verify if similar objects had already been discovered. He had also not inspected the back of the house, where elements were reportedly found during a subsequent FBI visit in 2023. A Complex Political Environment Arriving in Port-au-Prince in the midst of a political crisis, a few days after the assassination, Suarez indicated that his team had initially followed leads provided by Colombian sources and South Florida residents involved in the case. He admitted not having investigated potential political enemies of Moïse or links to drug trafficking, despite the numerous controversies surrounding the president in the months leading up to his death. During interrogations, he could not confirm whether the house was in the same condition as it was before the attack, admitting that the observed disorder could have predated the incident. A Closely Watched Trial During the hearings, the prosecution produced letters from the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the FBI indicating that no evidence was found that the defendants had worked for these agencies. Colombian military records were also presented, demonstrating that some suspects had been trained for over twenty years in special forces. As the trial enters its second week, the absence of forensic evidence collected at the crime scene continues to fuel debates and controversies, while the truth about the assassination of Jovenel Moïse remains at the heart of this extraordinary trial. Political Context After the Assassination The arrival of the FBI team in Haiti occurred in a context of a power struggle, with interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph temporarily at the head of the country, before being replaced by Ariel Henry — himself designated by Moïse before his death, but whose appointment had been contested. The editorial team with Miami Herald
