Florida man pleads guilty to smuggling firearms into Haiti

WASHINGTON (7news) — A South Florida resident and former Haitian National Police Officer pleaded guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District Court to conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of U.S. export control law for his role in an extensive firearms trafficking operation.

Jean Robert Casimir, 53, of Lauderhill, Florida, illegally exported at least 140 firearms to Haiti from 2020 to 2024 without the required license, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

“Casimir exploited his access to firearms in our country to arm buyers in Haiti, disguising his shipments and evading the licensing laws that exist to keep weapons out of the hands of those who would use them to fuel violence abroad,” Pirro said in a statement.

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According to court documents, Casimir purchased at least 108 firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees and at least 35 firearms from another Florida resident, all of which were shipped to Haiti. These guns included rifles, pistols, and shotguns of various makes and models.

In order to smuggle the firearms, one of the techniques that Casimir and co-conspirators used was to cut open industrial air compressors and weld them back together with disassembled gun parts hidden inside. These fake packages were then shipped to Haiti on boats leaving from the Miami area, according to court documents.

Casimir was arrested on Dec. 16, 2024, in Lauderhill and indicted on Jan. 23, 2025.

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“This office will continue to hold accountable anyone who treats our export laws as an obstacle to work around rather than the law of the land,” said Pirro.