MIAMI, Sept. 29, 2026 | A Miami federal magistrate judge has postponed the next stage of proceedings for Joseph Félix Badio, the former Haitian Justice Ministry official accused of playing a central role in the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, after the defendant asked for more time. The court record also shows that Badio’s attorney has asked to leave the case.

What the docket shows

At a status conference on Monday, Sept. 28, Magistrate Judge Eduardo I. Sanchez granted a motion to continue Badio’s detention hearing, his arraignment, and a status conference on an indigency hearing, according to a minute order entered on the docket. The order says Badio requested a reset.

All three proceedings are now set for Oct. 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Miami Division before the duty magistrate judge. The record notes that a Haitian Creole interpreter was present. A separate item is described as a status conference on partial indigency and payment under the Criminal Justice Act, which governs court-appointed defense counsel. The docket does not explain what led to that hearing, and the outcome will depend on the court’s review of his finances.

The day after the indictment was refiled, attorney Lauren Field Krasnoff filed a motion to withdraw as counsel for Badio on Sept. 23, with responses due Oct. 7. The filing on the docket doesn’t state a reason. Withdrawal motions are common and are often granted, but the judge will decide, and the timing means the question of who represents Badio may be settled before his Oct. 14 appearance.

A widening case

On Sept. 22, prosecutors filed notice of a sixth superseding redacted indictment with forfeiture allegations. It names a long list of defendants, including Christian Emmanuel Sanon, Samir Handal and Badio, along with the group of Colombian nationals. Forfeiture allegations typically indicate the government intends to seek assets tied to the alleged offenses if there are convictions. A restricted, unredacted version of the indictment was also attached to the record.

The filings follow a major transfer from Haiti. According to reports, Badio and 17 jailed Colombian commandos were flown from Port-au-Prince to Miami aboard a U.S. military aircraft on Sunday, Sept. 20. Federal authorities have said that 30 people have been indicted in connection with the assassination. Reporting also said Badio, 63, was brought into court in a wheelchair at the first appearance the next day. 18 Moïse assassination suspects extradited from Haiti to US, Haitians react +2

Who is Badio?

Badio is a former Haitian government employee who worked in the justice ministry’s anti-corruption unit before being dismissed over alleged ethics violations shortly before the killing. Haitian police issued a wanted notice for him on July 12, 2021, accusing him of assassination, attempted assassination and armed robbery, and he was arrested in Port-au-Prince years later. Inkl

In earlier trials in Miami, evidence indicated that Badio funneled $110,000 to Moïse’s security detail to keep them from intervening and spent another $20,000 on ammunition before the attack. Those statements come from testimony and evidence in other defendants’ proceedings. Badio has not been tried, and they are allegations as far as he is concerned. Inkl

The larger picture

The Miami prosecution has already produced convictions. In May, a federal jury convicted four defendants for their roles in the plot to kill or kidnap Moïse and provide material support for the operation. Other cases have ended in guilty pleas and sentences, including life terms. Meanwhile, Haiti’s own judicial process has struggled to move forward for five years, and the extraditions shift the most consequential proceedings to U.S. courts. The Haitian Times

What to watch

  • Oct. 7: Deadline for responses to the motion to withdraw as Badio’s attorney.
  • Oct. 14: Arraignment, detention hearing and the status conference on payment and indigency.
  • Charges and pleas: Badio has not yet been arraigned, so his formal plea to the current indictment is still to come.

Everyone charged is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Haiti Politic will follow this case as it develops.