Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise was killed during an attack at his private residence on Wednesday.

The country’s acting Prime Minister Claude Joseph, shared the news and has declared a state of seige in the country. 

According to reports, the First Lady of Haiti Martine Moise, was also shot, and evacuated to a Miami. Her condition is stable but critical, Ambassador Bacchus Edmond said in a press briefing.

CNN reports:

The attackers stormed Moise’s home at around 1 a.m. and fatally wounded the head of state, according to the acting prime minister, who described the assassination as a “heinous, inhumane and barbaric act.”
The attackers are believed to be “mercenaries,” Edmond also said, referring to them as “well-trained killers.”

He said video from the scene showed them speaking Spanish and said they presented themselves as Drug and Enforcement Administration (DEA) Agents.

“I believe they are fake DEA agents,” he told reporters Wednesday. Edmond asserted that the attackers were foreigners, but declined to give evidence to this beyond citing footage of them speaking Spanish.

“We don’t know how they came in,” Edmond said, adding that they did not know if the attackers were still in the country. He said if they have left, it would be via a land border with the Dominican Republic because Haiti would have detected a plane leaving and the airport has been closed since the attack. He said the airport would reopen “once we have this situation under control.”

“Me and all the ministers have been working since the news broke and we want to assure you we will bring the killers of the president to justice,” he added. “Please stay calm and let the authorities do their work. We don’t want the country to plunge into chaos. This is a very sad day for our nation and for our people.”

Sending condolences to President Moise’s family and love to the country of Haiti.