US to send FBI, DHS officials to Haiti
The United States says that it will be sending senior Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials to Haiti “as soon as possible” in the wake of Wednesday's assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
Moïse, 53, was killed in an attack by a group of assailants
in his private residence in Petion-Ville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, the
Haitian capital.
Interim Prime Minister, Claude Joseph, said in a statement
that Moïse's wife, Martine Moïse, was also shot in the attack.
US White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told a Press
Briefing on Friday that the Joseph Biden administration “remains engaged and in
close consultations with our Haitian and international partners to support the
Haitian people in the aftermath of the assassination of the president.
“In response to the Haitian government's request for
security and investigative assistance, we will be sending senior FBI and DHS
officials to Port-au-Prince as soon as possible to assess the situation and how
we may be able to assist,” said Psaki, noting that, in January, the US
announced US$75.5 million for a wide range of issues, including democratic
governance, health, education, agricultural development and strengthening of
pre-election activities in the French-speaking Caribbean country.
“Strengthening Haiti's law enforcement capacity is a key US
priority — was before the assassination a few days ago, continues to be,” Psaki
added.
“And the US Department of State's Bureau of International
Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs provides assistance directly to the
Haitian National Police.”
In addition, the White House Press Secretary said the Biden
administration is providing US$5 million to strengthen the Haitian National
Police capacity to work with communities to resist gangs.
“I also wanted to remind you all that, earlier this year,
the Department of Homeland Security re-designated Temporary Protected Status
(TPS) for Haiti for 18 months — something the Secretary announced in May and
something we are working to implement,” she said.
Psaki said Haiti is one of the countries that will be
receiving vaccines from the United States.
“We will be prepared to deliver those, hopefully as early as
next week,” she said. “Part of that is assessing what the airport — what can
happen with the airport and how we will be able to deliver these,” she added.
Psaki said the investigation into President Jovenel Moïse's
assassination is being led by “Haitian police forces on the ground.”
“Our assistance is to help the people of Haiti and to help
them get through what is a very challenging time and has long been even before
the assassination of the president,” she said. “So, the investigation is not
going to impact the assistance we're providing to the people of Haiti.”
Psaki said supporting law enforcement efforts on the ground
in Haiti and making sure that the US is providing resources — in terms of
women- and manpower, but also financial resources — are “part of what our
objective is as well.”
Haitian officials said on Friday that they are also
investigating whether the country's security apparatus was complicit in
coordinating the president's assassination, with Moïse's chief bodyguards
expected to be questioned next week.
Meantime, Colombian officials have confirmed that 13 of the
country's former soldiers are among the assassination suspects.
Haitian authorities also said on Friday that 18 of at least
20 people detained to date in the assassination are Colombian nationals.
Two of the suspected assassins are as Haitian Americans,
Haitian officials said. They said five other suspects are still at large.
“We are shocked and saddened to hear of the horrific
assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and the attack on First Lady Martine
Moïse of Haiti,” said President Biden in a White House statement earlier this
week.
“We condemn this heinous act, and I am sending my sincere
wishes for First Lady Moïse's recovery,” he added. “The United States offers
condolences to the people of Haiti, and we stand ready to assist as we continue
to work for a safe and secure Haiti.”
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