Trinidadian Shem Alexander indicted in US for gun trafficking
Key Points(5)
- A Trinidadian national has been charged in the United States with conspiracy to commit unlawful export smuggling and conspiracy to traffic firearms, U.S.
- Handberg announced following the unsealing of an indictment against Shem Wayne Alexander, 35, of Port of Spain, Trinidad.
- If convicted, Alexander faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
- He was arrested in Jamaica on November 15, 2024, under a U.S.
- provisional arrest request for extradition.
A Trinidadian national has been charged in the United States with conspiracy to commit unlawful export smuggling and conspiracy to traffic firearms, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced following the unsealing of an indictment against Shem Wayne Alexander, 35, of Port of Spain, Trinidad.
If convicted, Alexander faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. He was arrested in Jamaica on November 15, 2024, under a U.S. provisional arrest request for extradition. On December 20, 2024, he was extradited to the United States and remains in custody pending trial.
According to the indictment, Alexander led a group that illegally exported firearms, firearm components—including upper and lower receivers and gun parts kits—and related items from Florida to Trinidad and Tobago between 2019 and 2022.
The firearms, which included pistols and rifles, were concealed within boxing equipment, speakers, and other household items to evade detection by law enforcement and customs authorities. Conspirators allegedly acquired firearms in the Tampa area through straw purchases, misrepresenting the identities of the actual buyers and recipients, as well as their ultimate destination.
On April 7, 2021, Alexander reportedly directed conspirators to ship a package containing various concealed firearms, including a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol, a SAR Arms SAR-9 9mm pistol, a Taurus G3 9mm pistol, and a Ruger Security-9 9mm pistol, from Miami to Trinidad and Tobago. Authorities at Piarco International Airport intercepted and seized the shipment on April 22, 2021.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and other agencies, including the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s Transnational Organized Crime Unit and Special Investigations Unit.
Additional support came from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Export Enforcement.
The investigation was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation aimed at dismantling transnational criminal organizations. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs played a crucial role in Alexander’s extradition.
Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee will prosecute the case.
