By Hannatu Sadiq
A Haitian national has been arrested in connection with the assassination of President Jovenel Moise.
Haitian police announced on Sunday that they had arrested a Haitian national “who had political objectives” in recruiting the gunmen who assassinated President Moise last week.
According to the head of the Haitian National Police, Leon Charles, the individual entered Haiti on a private plane with political objectives.
“The mission then changed,” Charles said, explaining that the intent had originally been to arrest Moise, and the operation was mounted from within the country.
“Twenty-two other individuals entered Haiti,” Charles said.
Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 63, arrived in the island nation in June accompanied by several Colombians, according to details provided at a press conference.
During the course of interrogation, Sanon revealed that he had recruited 26 team members via a Florida-based Venezuelan security company named CTU.
18 Colombian citizens have so far been arrested since Wednesday.
No police officers were injured during the operations to arrest the Colombian alleged mercenaries, three of whom were killed in the process.
“When we, the police, blocked the progress of these bandits after they committed their crime, the first person that one of the assailants called was Christian Emmanuel Sanon.
“He contacted two other people that we consider to be the masterminds of the assassination of President Jovenel Moise,” Charles said, without disclosing the identity of the two other suspects.
Members of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), State Department, Justice Department, National Security Council and Department of Homeland Security arrived Haiti on Sunday and met with the Director-General of police.
According to Haitian authorities, the 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 country has been plunged into deep uncertainty over its political future since the atrocious incident. The international community has called on the Caribbean country to go ahead with presidential and legislative elections slated for later this year.
The US delegation met Sunday with the main actors in Haiti’s government.
“I met with the US delegation and together we welcomed the resolution of the Senate that chose me as interim president of the Republic,” Joseph Lambert, president of the Haitian Senate, tweeted Sunday evening.
The delegation also met with interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph, who says he is still in charge.
US officials have desisted from issuing any comment regarding the meeting.
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