MIAMI — Christian Emmanuel Sanon's federal trial for conspiring to assassinate Haitian President Jovenel Moïse is scheduled to begin with jury selection on Monday, September 28, 2026. Sanon faces eight charges connected to the assassination, including conspiring to kidnap or kill a person outside the U.S.

The defendant has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Opening arguments in the case are expected to begin on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, in Miami.

Federal prosecutors allege that South Florida served as a central location for planning and financing the plot to oust Jovenel Moïse. The indictment states that Sanon helped raise money for the conspiracy and arranged travel to Haiti and lodging for himself and others. Prosecutors also allege that Sanon funneled millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds awarded to Florida-based businesses to finance the assassination.

The plan to oust Moïse began to take shape in April 2021, when Sanon met in South Florida with a former Haitian senator and several U.S. businessmen. Conspirators agreed that Sanon would award contracts to Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy and Counter Terrorist Unit Security, collectively known as CTU, for infrastructure projects, security forces, and military equipment if he came to power. CTU initially retained Colombian nationals with military training to provide security for Sanon.

By June 2021, conspirators determined that Sanon lacked the constitutional qualifications and popular support to become president. They subsequently backed Wendelle Coq Thélot, a former Haitian Superior Court judge, as an alternative candidate. Thélot died in January 2025 while still a fugitive.

Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated on July 7, 2021. He was shot multiple times at his private residence near Port-au-Prince by foreign mercenaries, mostly from Colombia. Martine Moïse was wounded in the attack on her husband.

Martine Moïse testified earlier this year at the trial of four men convicted in the conspiracy to kill her husband. She said she went to bed around 10 p.m. and awoke to the sounds of gunfire about three hours later. According to her testimony, Jovenel Moïse said, "Honey, we are dead."

Martine Moïse said she crawled downstairs to check on her two adult children during the attack. She said she and Jovenel Moïse got on the floor on either side of the bed and used it as protection from gunfire. Men burst into the room and opened fire with what sounded like an automatic weapon, she said.

Martine Moïse said she heard men speaking in Spanish before someone shot Jovenel Moïse multiple times, killing him. She said she was struck several times during the attack. She also said she later learned that security officers assigned to protect the house were paid to leave their posts.

U.S. prosecutors have charged more than 40 people with crimes related to the assassination of Jovenel Moïse. A dozen people have been convicted in connection with the assassination, and five of those convicted are serving life sentences. At least nine people have been convicted at trial or through guilty pleas.

Joseph Badio, a former Haiti Ministry of Justice employee, was among the defendants recently transported to the U.S. from Haiti. Colombian mercenaries were also among the defendants transferred. The Haitian Ministry of Justice stated that it had transferred Badio and the mercenaries to U.S. authorities in an effort to strengthen cooperation and bring the judicial proceedings related to the assassination to a close.

Badio and others appeared in federal court in Miami on Monday, September 28, 2026. Badio was brought into the Florida court in a wheelchair. U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisette Reid assigned lawyers and set additional court dates for the defendants.

The indictment alleges that Joseph Badio posed as a U.S. drug agent and participated in Jovenel Moïse’s killing. Badio worked in the Haitian government’s anti-corruption unit until he was fired for alleged ethics violations weeks before the assassination. In 2021, the Haitian Ministry of Justice issued an arrest warrant for Badio for his alleged role in the assassination, which led to his arrest in Haiti and subsequent transfer to U.S. custody.

Christian Emmanuel Sanon is one of 30 co-conspirators named in a newly unsealed indictment filed on August 27, 2026. A judge denied Sanon's request for more time to prepare his defense on September 24, 2026.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida have amassed a witness list of 57 individuals, including FBI analysts who analyzed over 8,000 gigabytes of data from more than 100 devices across Haiti, Colombia, and the U.S. as part of the case against Sanon. Federal prosecutors alleged that Walter Veintemilla funneled $175,000 in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds to finance the assassination plot.

"Moïse was assassinated by individuals seeking to profit from illicit financial opportunities and business contracts," U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones said. Sanon has offered a different perspective on the political climate, stating in the past, Where is the leadership of Haiti? Nowhere to be found. You know why? Because they’re corrupt.

Haiti has not had a president since the assassination of Jovenel Moïse. The Haitian Ministry of Justice has been involved in multiple investigations into the assassination, but these have faced repeated delays and legal challenges, including an appeals court ruling that the initial investigation was incomplete. In 2024, a Haitian investigative judge named Walther Wesser Voltaire indicted 51 individuals in connection with the assassination, including the president’s widow, but the indictment was later deemed incomplete by an appeals court.

In 2025, Haitian justice officials asked the U.S. and Canada for help after a local court of appeals ordered a new investigation into Jovenel Moïse’s killing, according to reports. Previous investigations stalled because Haitian judges resigned from the case fearing for their lives. Gangs seized control of the downtown Port-au-Prince courthouse where judges were interrogating suspects in the Moïse assassination case.

The violence in Haiti has continued in the years since the assassination. More than 3,000 people were killed in Haiti by June 2026 due to gang violence. About 1.5 million people have been displaced in Haiti in recent years.

Why It Matters

The trial of Christian Emmanuel Sanon represents a step in the long-running U.S. prosecution of those involved in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse. With more than 40 people charged and a dozen convicted, the case shows the extensive network alleged to have planned and executed the killing. The involvement of former Haitian government officials, such as Joseph Badio, and the use of U.S. financial systems to fund the plot show the transnational nature of the conspiracy.

The proceedings occur against a backdrop of ongoing instability in Haiti, which has not had a president since Moïse's death. Gang violence has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced millions, complicating local judicial efforts. The transfer of key defendants from Haiti to the U.S. reflects an attempt to ensure accountability where domestic institutions have struggled due to security threats and legal challenges.

What's New

Additional reporting provides further detail on the scope of the federal case and the background of the primary defendant. Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida have amassed a witness list of 57 individuals, including FBI analysts who analyzed over 8,000 gigabytes of data from more than 100 devices across Haiti, Colombia, and the U.S. as part of the case against Christian Emmanuel Sanon.

Christian Emmanuel Sanon has lived in Florida for over 20 years, according to reports, with residences spanning from the Tampa Bay area to Hollywood, Boynton Beach, and Margate. He was previously a licensed medical doctor in Haiti and practiced medicine in the country before moving to the U.S. in the 1990s. Opening arguments in Christian Emmanuel Sanon's trial are expected to begin on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.

Prosecutors allege that Christian Emmanuel Sanon funneled millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds awarded to Florida-based businesses to finance the assassination. U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones said, "Moïse was assassinated by individuals seeking to profit from illicit financial opportunities and business contracts." Sanon previously stated, "Where is the leadership of Haiti? Nowhere to be found. You know why? Because they’re corrupt." The Haitian investigation into Jovenel Moïse’s assassination was delayed for further investigation in 2025 after a local court of appeals ordered a new inquiry, according to reports.

How Sources Differ

Reporting on Christian Emmanuel Sanon presents varying details regarding his residency and financial activities.

Documents differ on the timeline and status of Sanon's role in the conspiracy. One record indicates that by June 2021, conspirators determined that Christian Emmanuel Sanon lacked the constitutional qualifications and popular support to become president. Another document states that Christian Emmanuel Sanon is one of 30 co-conspirators named in a newly unsealed indictment.

There are also differences in how the indictment filing is described. One source identifies Christian Emmanuel Sanon as one of 30 co-conspirators named in a newly unsealed indictment. Another source specifies that the new indictment against Christian Emmanuel Sanon was filed on August 27, 2026.

The alleged agreements within the conspiracy are also detailed differently across documents. Another states that conspirators agreed that Christian Emmanuel Sanon would award contracts to Counter Terrorist Unit Federal Academy and Counter Terrorist Unit Security for infrastructure projects, security forces, and military equipment if he came to power.

Finally, the alternative candidates considered by the conspirators are noted in relation to Sanon's inclusion. One source lists Christian Emmanuel Sanon as one of 30 co-conspirators named in a newly unsealed indictment. Another mentions that conspirators backed Wendelle Coq Thélot, a former Haitian Superior Court judge, as an alternative candidate after rejecting Christian Emmanuel Sanon.