FBI, Homeland Security in Weston investigating possible connection to Haitian president’s assassination
By Nicole Linsalata
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WESTON, Florida (WSVN) — Investigators from the FBI and Homeland Security have been looking into a possible connection in a Weston neighborhood to the assassination of Haiti’s president.
Federal agents, assisted by Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies, arrived at the $2 million home of Walter Veintemilla, Tuesday morning.
Veintemilla, a loan broker, owns a lending firm in Miramar and was linked by Haiti Police officials to other South Floridians under investigation for the death of President Jovenel Moïse.
At least two Haitian Americans with ties to South Florida claimed to be interpreters for, what they thought was, a mission to arrest the president, not kill him.
According to the Miami Herald, Veintemilla’s attorney said his client’s involvement was limited to brokering loans to others who claimed to be conducting infrastructure improvements.
The Herald also reported the Weston home was one of several locations the federal agents have been eyeing. The newspaper reported agents searched an apartment building in the area of West Flagler Street and 89th Avenue in West Miami-Dade.
Cameras captured agents leaving the apartment with multiple items, but it is unclear if any of the items are evidence.
An FBI spokesperson released a statement that read, “I can confirm that the FBI and HSI are conducting court-ordered law enforcement activity in the vicinity of location. The affidavit has been sealed by the court, and so I am prohibited from commenting further. There is no threat to public safety.”
Neighbors said the West Miami-Dade apartment belongs to a couple who has not lived there long.
“We know that the man is a Colombian man and that the woman is Brazilian,” a woman said. “I hadn’t really seen them here. They were new to us, as well. We ran into them a few times, didn’t think anything of it, either.”
Another business, Doral security firm CTU, is owned by Antonio Intriago. His business and home were also searched by agents, according to his attorney Gilbert Lacayo.
“Mr. Intriago was contacted to provide security detail for some Haitian nationals in an attempt to– basically just a security detail,” Lacayo said. “He had no knowledge of anything that ultimately ended up happening.”
According to the Washington Post, Dr. Christian Sanon, who has ties to Broward County, was one of those Haitian nationals, but Intriago’s attorney will not confirm the report.
“He had no participation or responsibility in the ultimate acts that transpired,” Lacayo said.
It remains unclear if a gun battle captured on video in early July was the one that killed seven suspects and led to the detention of six more.
7News has reached out to the attorney for Veintemilla multiple times for comment but have not received a response.
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