Jovenel Moïse Assassination: No DNA or Fingerprints Collected, FBI and Haitian Authorities Exposed

March 17, 2026. In any homicide investigation, the first fundamental rule is to immediately secure the crime scene. In the case of Jovenel Moïse, however, this basic requirement appears to have been neglected.

The ongoing trial in Miami, before a U.S. federal court under the supervision of Judge Jacqueline Becerra, continues to reveal troubling deficiencies. The defendants — Arcángel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, James Solages, and Walter Veintemilla — are accused of financing and organizing a plot to assassinate the president in pursuit of public contracts.

The defense, however, argues that the Colombian commando unit was tasked only with arresting the president, claiming that he may have been killed prior to their arrival by members of the presidential security apparatus or law enforcement.

A fifth defendant, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, will be tried separately due to health concerns.

Between approximately 1:00 a.m. — the time of the attack — and 10:37 a.m. — when Justice of the Peace Carl Henry Destin issued his official report — a critical question remains: who truly controlled the crime scene? Who had access? Who handled the evidence?

According to the official report, after the premises were sealed, Jean Laguel Civil, Vilson Éloge, and Lucita Lumenes were designated as custodians. The document further states:

“Afterward, we appointed the aforementioned individuals as guardians of the seals […] Finally, we instructed the ambulance worker, D. Jango Noël, to remove the body […] strictly prohibiting any photographs […] We remained on site […] until 5:30 p.m.”

However, following the magistrate’s departure, a new uncertainty emerges: who maintained control over the sealed premises?

Another critical issue concerns the handling of the body: which morgue received it, and why do multiple actors claim uncertainty regarding its whereabouts prior to the autopsy?

Significant ambiguity persists.

Four years after the assassination, the Miami proceedings continue to raise serious concerns regarding the management of the crime scene.

Testifying in court, FBI agent Martin Suarez acknowledged that no fingerprints were collected and no DNA testing was conducted.

He confirmed the presence of multiple pieces of evidence — bullet impacts, blood stains near the bed, and traces possibly belonging to Martine Moïse — yet none were subjected to forensic analysis.

“We did the best we could while we were at the residence, but timing was a factor,” Suarez stated.

Under cross-examination by defense attorney David Howard, Suarez was questioned about the absence of forensic technicians: “You were there for six hours […] and did not have time to collect evidence?” His response: “We did not have time.”

He further indicated that his team, which arrived two days later, collected shell casings, ammunition, and a flash-bang device, but conducted no in-depth analysis and did not inspect the rear of the property.

Photographs presented to the jury depict a chaotic scene, which the defense suggests may indicate staging. Suarez stated he could not confirm the original condition of the site.

In summary, despite multiple visits:

• no fingerprints were collected

• no DNA samples were obtained

• no blood evidence was analyzed

• on-site presence lasted approximately six hours

This raises fundamental questions: why was the intervention so limited in a presidential assassination case? Why were observable pieces of evidence neither analyzed nor processed?

The evidence was later transferred to the Haitian National Police, then led by Léon Charles, whose explanations have been widely criticized.

The prosecutor’s office, under Bedford Claude, is also under scrutiny for delays, notably taking three days to perform the autopsy of a head of state.

Additional concerns include the lack of transparency regarding the handling of the body, institutional silence, and inconsistencies in the chain of custody.

Politically, Claude Joseph has criticized decisions made by Ariel Henry, including the dismissal of key judicial officials.

In a notably ironic statement, Joseph remarked:
“It is out of shame that they did not claim the president killed himself — or that zombies were responsible.”

Meanwhile, Dimitri Hérard has called for the declassification of U.S. documents, arguing that critical information remains concealed.

On the morning of July 7, 2021, Claude Joseph claimed that the situation was “under control.” However, the Miami trial suggests otherwise: a crime scene that was never effectively secured.

Beyond a criminal case, the assassination of Jovenel Moïse exposes profound institutional dysfunction: lack of coordination, technical shortcomings, and political interference.

In any rule-of-law system, the initial hours of an investigation are decisive. In this case, they appear to have created a void — one that neither procedures nor time have managed to fill.

A final question remains: was the investigation compromised from the outset, rendering the truth permanently elusive?

Brigitte Benshow and Staff