A dual citizen of Trinidad and Tobago and the United States has been sentenced in a Florida court for illegally smuggling firearms and ammunition into Trinidad and Tobago, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain.
Videsh Chandoo, 44, was sentenced on June 26 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to 18 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on April 4, 2025, to smuggling seven pistols and 332 rounds of ammunition from the U.S. into Trinidad and Tobago.
The weapons were intercepted in Port of Spain in July 2023 by Trinidad and Tobago Customs and Excise Division officers during an inspection at Shed 10. A joint investigation followed, involving the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Diplomatic Security Service, and multiple U.S. federal agencies.
Chandoo, who was not extradited, voluntarily traveled to the U.S. in January 2025 to face charges with the assistance of the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Snider.
Authorities credited strong bilateral cooperation between the U.S. and Trinidad and Tobago for the successful outcome.
