The White House will send federal law enforcement officers to Haiti imminently to help investigate the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday.
State of play: Senior officials from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security will travel to the capital city of Port-au-Prince "as soon as possible" to "assess the situation and how we may be able to assist," Psaki said.
- "The United States remains engaged and in close consultation with our Haitian and international partners to support the Haitian people in the aftermath of the assassination of the president," Psaki said.
- The White House will also send coronavirus vaccines to Haiti as early as next week. "Part of that is assessing what can happen with the airport and how we will be able to deliver these," Psaki noted.
Catch up quick: 17 suspects have been detained and another eight are being sought in association with the assassination of Moïse that also wounded his wife, Martine Moïse, AP reports.
- The assassination comes amid increasing political turmoil and gang violence in Port-au-Prince as inflation and a delayed election contribute to the state of crisis in the Western Hemisphere's most impoverished nation.
Go deeper: Coup claim deepens Haiti's political crisis