Closing arguments are underway in the Miami federal trial of four men accused of helping plot the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse.
Moïse was killed in 2021 after gunmen stormed his residence.
Federal prosecutors spent about two hours laying out their case on Monday, telling jurors the plot was planned and financed in South Florida.
They argued the defendants helped orchestrate a plan to remove Moïse from power and replace him with a leader who would benefit them. Prosecutors told jurors the gunmen may have pulled the triggers, but the men “calling the shots” were sitting in the courtroom.
A key focus was an alleged arrest warrant tied to the operation. Prosecutors say it was not legitimate and was used as a cover. The defense argued the men believed it was real and thought they were part of a legal mission to arrest the president.
Jurors were also shown graphic crime scene images from the 2021 attack, which also injured Moïse’s widow. After the government wrapped up, defense attorneys began their closing statements.
Two spoke on Monday, with more expected Tuesday.
All four defendants face life in prison if convicted.