Two Americans deny direct involvement in killing of Haiti president and claim to be translators for hit squad

The two Americans who were arrested in connection with the assassination of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse have denied they were directly involved in the killing – instead claiming to act as translators for the hit squad, reports.

Haiti’s minister of elections and inter-party relations, Mathias Pierre, previously identified US citizens James Solages, 35, and Joseph Vincent, 55, as the two Americans detained.

Clément Noël, a judge who is involved in the investigation and spoke to both men, told the publication that the Americans claimed the plot was planned intensively over the last month.

The two men met with members of the hit squad at a hotel in Pétionville, a suburb of the Haitian capital, to plan the attack, according to the judge.

Additionally, the plan was allegedly just to kidnap the president and bring him to the national palace, not assassinate Mr Moïse.

He was shot dead and his wife was injured during an attack on their home in the early hours of Wednesday.

In total, 17 suspects have been detained by police – 15 of whom were said to be from Colombia, Léon Charles, chief of Haiti’s National Police, said on Thursday night.

The Colombian government said it was asked about six of the suspects detained in Haiti, including two who were killed. It was determined that the suspects were retired army soldiers, but no identities were released.

Mr Vincent told the judge that he had been in Haiti for the last six months and was staying with his cousin. Mr Solages was in the country for one month, and the judge was told that the Colombians allegedly involved in the attack were in the country for three months.

Mr Moïse was shot dead and his wife was seriously wounded in an attack on their home by a group of men early on Wednesday around 1am local time.

Video footage emerged after the assassination of an attacker yelling “this is a DEA operation” with an American-sounding accent.

The footage was taken in the dark of night looking down on the property of Mr Moïse, with one of the men using a megaphone to claim they were agents from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). While the US embassy confirmed to the Associated Press that the DEA has an office in the Haitian capital, Department of State spokesman Ned Price denied the US had any involvement in the murder. Haiti ambassador Bocchit Edmond said previously they were “fake DEA”, based on his impression from security camera footage.

Mr Solages told the judge that he was the man who yelled “this is a DEA operation” during the attack and claimed the two Americans operated as translators for the hit squad.

The judge was also told that Mr Solages found the translator job through an online job posting, but he would not say how much either he or the other American was paid.

Mr Vincent told the judge that the broader plot was orchestrated by a foreigner named “Mike” who spoke both English and Spanish. No further details were provided on the foreigner.

A biography from a non-profit operating in Haiti describes Mr Solages as president of its board of directors who was previously “chief commander of bodyguards for The Canadian embassy in Haiti”.

It says he serves as a politician promoting his country through economic development programmes while working as a corporate executive in South Florida.

Few details were available about Mr Vincent at the present.

Authorities said the investigation was still ongoing into the attack, with officials looking for any other suspects who were potentially involved.

“We will continue to hunt them down. Either they will be arrested, or they will be stopped in the exchange of fire. The pursuit will continue,” Mr Charles said at a press conference.