Overview:
Federal prosecutors in Florida have charged three people in an alleged firearms smuggling operation involving weapons shipped from Miami and destined for Haiti. Authorities say the defendants bought dozens of firearms, hid them in a transport container labeled as family items, and coordinated journey linked to the cargo, which was intercepted within the Dominican Republic.
NEW YORK — Three Haitians have been charged with unlawfully smuggling firearms after a federal grand jury within the Center District of Florida returned an indictment tied to a weapons cargo sure for Haiti, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
Francesca Charles, 28, a U.S. citizen residing in Florida; Jacques Pierre, 32; and his brother Jeff Pierre, 34, each Haitian residents dwelling in Florida, are charged with conspiracy to smuggle items and unlawfully ship firearms, smuggling items from the US, and illegally transport firearms. If convicted, every defendant faces as much as 20 years in federal jail.
In accordance with court documents, authorities within the Dominican Republic intercepted a transport container in February 2025 containing 18 rifles, 5 handguns, firearm magazines, greater than 36,000 rounds of ammunition, and a silencer. The container, shipped from Miami, was destined for Haiti. The weapons and ammunition weren’t declared on the transport manifest, which as a substitute listed family items.
Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) decided that the defendants had bought not less than 20 of the 23 firearms recovered from the container. Center District prosecutors say that information present the group purchased not less than 46 firearms between Could 2024 and February 2025, many matching the make and mannequin of the seized weapons. Thirty-seven firearms had been bought between August 2024 and February 2025 alone.
Federal brokers additionally allege that Jacques Pierre bought two Barrett .50-caliber rifles, high-powered, military-style weapons usually mounted on automobiles. A kind of rifles was recovered within the seized cargo, in keeping with prosecutors.
Journey and transport information point out the defendants allegedly coordinated firearm purchases with shipments to Haiti and traveled to Haiti across the time the containers had been anticipated to reach. Information additional present the defendants traveled to the Dominican Republic three days earlier than authorities intercepted the cargo.
The indictment is being investigated by the ATF and HSI, with help from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince and the U.S. Marshals Service. It’s being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Lawyer Elisibeth Adams.
At a high-level assembly in New York final September, forward of the eightieth session of the United Nations Normal Meeting, U.S. officers introduced measures to curb the circulate of unlawful firearms into Haiti and Caribbean nations.
U.S. courts have just lately sentenced several traffickers, together with Jean Wiltene Eugene, who shipped firearms hidden in automobiles, and Michael Adrian Nieto, a former police officer convicted of reselling dozens of weapons to Haitian and Dominican consumers. Haitian American Bazile Richardson from North Carolina was additionally charged for allegedly financing Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier’s gang,
Federal officers stated the Florida case is a part of Operation Take Again America, a Division of Justice initiative focusing on unlawful firearms trafficking, transnational felony organizations, and violent crime.