Former Colombian soldier pleads guilty in 2021 assassination of Haiti’s president

By GISELA SALOMON
Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — A former Colombian soldier has pleaded guilty to conspiring in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, which plunged the Caribbean nation into violence and political turmoil. Mario Antonio Palacios Palacios pleaded guilty Friday to three charges, including conspiracy to commit murder or kidnapping outside the United States. He is the fifth of 11 defendants in Miami to plead guilty in the 2021 assassination. As part of a deal with prosecutors, he agreed to cooperate with the investigation. Palacios could get up to life in prison when he’s sentenced March 1, but under the deal, prosecutors conceded that he played a minor role in the plot.