Law enforcement and intelligence agencies are investigating the relationship between two Haitian-American men and a group of Colombian mercenaries and the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, to hunt down some gunmen who are believed to be still working. Big continue.

After Haitian police arrested 17 members of a 28-person assault team, the United States, Colombia, and Interpol are joining a rapid investigation into the assassination. Haitian police said the team assassinated President Moise on Wednesday.

Three Colombian mercenaries were killed and eight others are still being pursued by Haitian police. The United States is sending FBI agents and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials to Port-au-Prince.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: “In response to the Haitian government’s request for security and investigation assistance, we will send senior officials from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security to Port-au-Prince to assess the situation and how we can help.”

“The investigation was led by the local Haitian police force,” Psaki added.

On Thursday, the police showed some suspects in front of the media, as well as the Colombian passports and weapons they had seized. As the authorities launched an international investigation, the head of the Haitian National Police, Leon Charles, promised to track down the remaining gunmen.

Haitian police confirmed that the two Haitian Americans were James Solach, 35, and Joseph Vincent, 55, who were part of the heavily armed forces that attacked and killed Mois at his home in Port-au-Prince on Wednesday . The first lady of Haiti, Martin Moise, was injured in the attack and is currently receiving treatment in an American hospital in Florida.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. There is no president or working council. As the country fell into political chaos, two politicians claimed responsibility.

Colombian President Ivan Duque said on Friday that he had a phone call with interim prime minister Claude Joseph to express solidarity and promise to cooperate in the investigation.

Duke said on Twitter in Spanish: “We provide all cooperation to find out the truth about the author of the material and knowledge about the assassination of President Jovinel Moise.”

I just talked to the Prime Minister of Haiti @Claude joseph 03. We express our solidarity and support at this time. We provide all cooperation to find out the truth about the material and knowledge author of the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse.

-Ivan Duque ?? (@IvanDuque) July 9, 2021

Colombian Defense Minister Diego Morano said at a press conference on Thursday that Interpol has asked Colombia to provide information on the alleged involvement of former soldiers in the assassination.

Morano said that Morano ordered “the police and the army to immediately cooperate in this investigation to clarify these facts.”

On Wednesday, the police engaged in a gun battle with some suspected assassins in a house near the crime scene in Petionville, a suburb of Port-au-Prince. On Thursday, another 11 people were arrested at the Taiwanese Embassy after breaking into the embassy premises.

According to reports, new information about Solages appeared on Friday. When he was in his 20s, he worked as a bodyguard for a security company serving the Canadian Embassy in Haiti.

According to the New York Times, a Haitian judge said on Friday that two American citizens were not in the room when Moyes was killed. They said they were just interpreters for the strike team.

The judge involved in the investigation, Clément Noël, interviewed the two shortly after they were arrested. He said that neither of them was injured in the attack.

American citizens James Solach (left) and Joseph Vincent (second from left) are suspects in the assassination [Joseph Odelyn/AP Photo]

Public records show that Solach is a naturalized American citizen who lives in Tamarack, Florida, near Fort Lauderdale, and has no criminal record. According to Reuters and the Miami Herald, Solages holds a security officer and gun license.

Solages’ uncle Schubert Dorisme told reporters in Tamarack that Solages thought Moise was “crazy” and accused Moise of refusing to step down because of the deteriorating website in Haiti.

Dorisme said Solages uses the Tamarac address to provide postal services and frequently travels to Haiti.

Two U.S. law enforcement sources who asked not to be named told Reuters on Friday that the agency is investigating the U.S. connection with the killing, but declined to comment specifically on the two Haitian-American suspects.

According to Reuters, earlier this week, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, Bocchit Edmond, had asked President Joe Biden’s government to impose international financial sanctions on the perpetrators of the murder.

The Haitian Ambassador said in a letter to the Secretary of State: “We further request the Biden administration to impose sanctions on all perpetrators directly responsible for or assisting and abetting the assassination of the President in accordance with the Global Magnitsky Act.” Anthony Brinken .

The United States announced in January that it would provide US$75.5 million in aid to Haiti and provide an additional US$5 million to help strengthen cooperation between the Haitian National Police and the community against armed groups.