Several people linked to the assassination plot in Haiti were previously US law enforcement informants

At least one of the men arrested by Haitian authorities previously worked as an informant for the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the DEA said in a statement in response to CNN.

“Sometimes, one of the suspects in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was a confidential DEA source,” the DEA said in a statement.

“Following the assassination of President Moïse, the suspect contacted his contacts at the DEA. A DEA official assigned to Haiti urged the suspect to surrender to local authorities and, along with a US State Department official, provided information to the Haitian government that assisted in the surrender and arrest of the suspect and another person, ”the DEA said.

The DEA said it was aware of reports that some assassins shouted “DEA” at the time of their attack. The DEA said in its statement that none of the attackers were operating on behalf of the agency.

Others also had ties to the United States, including as informants for the FBI, those briefed on the matter said. The FBI said in response to CNN’s information that it did not comment on informants except to say it was using “lawful sources to gather intelligence” as part of its investigations.

Moise was killed Wednesday in an operation that Haitian authorities said involved at least 28 people, many of them Colombian mercenaries hired through a Florida-based security company.

Authorities announced on Monday the arrest of a suspect who they say orchestrated the assassination. Christian Emmanuel Sanon, 63, entered the country aboard a private jet in June, police chief Leon Charles said at a press conference.

Haitian authorities say Sanon hired Florida-based CTU Security, which they say recruited men initially to provide security for Sanon, although their mission appears to have changed thereafter.

It is not clear that the men who worked as US law enforcement informants knowingly participated in the assassination plot or were aware of the mission, those briefed on the matter said.

CNN has not been able to reach Sanon or his representatives for comment since his arrest.

Haitian authorities have provided limited details of the investigation, but the growing number of Florida links to the plot appears to portray an operation at least partially hatched in the United States.

This may increase the likelihood that the US Department of Justice can lay charges against any US participant in the conspiracy. Haitian authorities said three US citizens were under arrest for their involvement in the assassination.

CNN’s Caitlin Hu, Mitchell McCluskey and Jessie Yeung contributed to this report.