U.S. federal authorities have brought serious charges against three individuals accused of participating in an arms trafficking network operating between Florida and Haiti. Francesca Charles, 28, a U.S. citizen, along with brothers Jacques Pierre, 32, and Jeff Pierre, 34—both Haitian nationals residing in Florida—are charged with conspiracy and the illegal export of firearms. They face up to 20 years in federal prison, according to a statement released Tuesday, January 6, by the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.
The case dates back to February 2025, when Dominican authorities intercepted a maritime container shipped from Miami and officially declared as carrying “household goods.” Inside, officials discovered a cache of weapons: 18 rifles, five handguns, magazines, more than 36,000 rounds of ammunition, and a silencer. The shipment was destined for Haiti, a country grappling with a deepening security crisis fueled by widespread armed violence.
Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) traced the origin of the weapons. Their probe determined that the three defendants were the purchasers of at least 20 of the 23 firearms seized.
The volume and frequency of the purchases raised red flags. Between May 2024 and February 2025, the trio allegedly acquired at least 46 firearms. Thirty-seven of those were purchased in just six months, from August 2024 to February 2025. Some of the weapons matched models found in the intercepted container. More troubling, records obtained by investigators show that Jacques Pierre purchased two .50-caliber Barrett rifles—military-grade heavy weapons capable of penetrating light armored vehicles. One of those rifles was recovered from the seized shipment.
The investigation revealed a clear operational pattern. Travel and shipping records show that the defendants arranged shipments to Haiti shortly after bulk firearm purchases, then traveled themselves to the Caribbean nation around the expected arrival dates of the cargo. Records also indicate that they were in the Dominican Republic three days before the container was seized in February 2025.
The case is being prosecuted under Operation Take Back America, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative targeting transnational criminal organizations. The investigation is led by the ATF and HSI, with support from the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.
The indictment comes amid growing criticism of the United States—both from Haiti and the international community—over its alleged failure to stem the flow of illegal weapons to the island. In recent United Nations Security Council meetings, Washington has been challenged for “doing nothing or not enough” to cut off the supply lines feeding gangs that terrorize the Haitian population.
In recent months, U.S. courts have charged or convicted several individuals in similar arms trafficking cases linked to Haiti, implicitly acknowledging the scale of the problem and the role of U.S. territory as a major source of supply.
The three defendants, whose guilt must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt in court, highlight the opaque networks that continue to funnel weapons into a country in deep crisis. Their upcoming trials will be closely watched as a test of the United States’ resolve to confront this critical dimension of Haiti’s ongoing instability.
