U.S. seeks extradition from Jamaica of another key suspect in Haiti president’s slaying
The U.S. has sent a request to Jamaica seeking the extradition of a former senator from Haiti accused in last July’s assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.
The request for John Joël Joseph, who also goes by Joseph Joël John on his passport, came up Thursday in a Jamaican court as the one-time Haitian politician made his fifth appearance before a judge in the English-speaking Caribbean nation on immigration violation charges. Joseph, his wife and two sons were arrested at a home in rural St. Elizabeth parish in early January.
“Extradition request came into court today,” defense attorney Donahue Martin confirmed to the Miami Herald, adding that his client “gave consent to waive extradition hearing.”
Martin also represents Joseph’s wife and children, all three of whom have asked for political asylum in Jamaica, claiming that their lives would be in danger if they were to be sent back to Haiti. No decision has been made on their application.
Earlier this month, Haitian authorities confirmed to the Herald that they had sent a request to Jamaica asking for Joseph to be sent back to face a judge investigating the assassination. Martin said there was no mention of Haiti’s request in court. A Haitian government official on Thursday told the Herald that the Haitian government had not heard back from Jamaica.
Joseph has been ordered to return to court on April 5 on the immigration violation charges, and it’s unclear how soon he could be in the U.S., where two other assassination suspects are currently jailed. Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios, a former solider in Colombia’s military, was picked up by U.S. federal agents in Panama on Jan. 3 during the process of being deported to Colombia by Jamaica. Rodolphe Jaar, a convicted drug trafficker, was escorted by U.S. federal agents to Miami in January after being detained in the Dominican Republic.
Both men are believed to be cooperating with U.S. prosecutors, who have accused each of conspiring to commit murder or kidnapping outside of the United States and providing material support resulting in death while knowing that such support would be used to carry out a plot to kill the Haitian president.
The U.S. has been conducting its own investigation into the killing, under the Justice Department’s expansive view of its criminal jurisdiction. Though the crime happened in Haiti, some of the planning occurred in South Florida, Haitian and U.S. investigators have said.
A Haitian police investigative report obtained by the Herald describes Joseph as playing a key role in the plot — he was allegedly responsible for renting the vehicles used on the night of the murder and hosted meetings at his house before July 7. But Haitian authorities hope he can shed light on the motive behind the killing.
Initially more than 40 people, including 18 former Colombian soldiers and three Haitian Americans with ties to South Florida, were jailed. Nearly nine months later, none has been formally charged and the country just got its fourth investigative judge assigned to the stalled investigation.
In an interview last month, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry told the Herald that he would support sending suspects in the assassination to Miami to face murder conspiracy charges if U.S. authorities ask.
“If they ask, they will have the full cooperation of the nation,” he said.
This story was originally published March 24, 2022 at 6:48 PM.
