The US Division of Justice introduced prices filed on Haitian nationals accused of smuggling firearms from america. Under is an official assertion from the US Legal professional’s Workplace for the Center District of Florida:
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Legal professional Gregory W. Kehoe proclaims the return of an indictment charging Francesca Charles, 28, a U.S. citizen residing in Florida; Jacques Pierre, 32; and his brother, Jeff Pierre, 34, each residents of Haiti residing in FL, with conspiracy to smuggle items and unlawfully ship firearms, smuggling items from america, and unlawfully delivery firearms. If convicted, every faces a most penalty of 20 years in federal jail.
In accordance with courtroom paperwork, in February 2025, officers within the Dominican Republic seized 18 rifles, 5 handguns, firearms magazines, over 36,000 rounds of ammunition, and a silencer from inside a container that had been shipped from Miami, Florida. The delivery container was destined for Haiti. The firearms and ammunition weren’t listed on the delivery manifest, which as a substitute listed family items. Brokers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), in addition to Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI), discovered that the defendants have been the purchasers of at the least 20 of the 23 firearms seized from the delivery container.
All through the investigation, brokers discovered that the defendants bought at the least 46 firearms between Could 2024 and February 2025, most of which have been the identical make and mannequin because the firearms recovered within the Dominican Republic. Thirty-seven of these firearms have been bought between August 9, 2024, and February 10, 2025. Brokers additionally obtained information that Jacques Pierre bought two Barrett .50-caliber rifles, that are heavy-duty military-style weapons which are sometimes mounted to the tops of autos and utilized in furtherance of violence by gangs and cartels. One of many Barrett rifles was recovered within the aforementioned cargo in February 2025.
Journey and delivery information confirmed that the co-conspirators would facilitate a cargo to Haiti shortly after buying numerous firearms, then would journey to Haiti across the time the cargo was scheduled to reach in Haiti. Journey information additionally confirmed that the defendants traveled to the Dominican Republic three days earlier than the delivery container was intercepted.
An indictment is merely a proper cost {that a} defendant has dedicated a number of violations of federal legal regulation, and each defendant is presumed harmless until, and till, confirmed responsible.
This case is being investigated by the ATF and HSI with help from U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince and america Marshals Service. It’s being prosecuted by Assistant United States Legal professional Elisibeth Adams.
This case is a part of Operation Take Again America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the total sources of the Division of Justice to repel the invasion of unlawful immigration, obtain the overall elimination of cartels and transnational legal organizations and shield our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
