United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg has announced the unsealing of an indictment against Shem Wayne Alexander, aged 35, from Port of Spain, Trinidad. Alexander faces charges of conspiracy to commit unlawful export smuggling and conspiracy to traffic firearms. If found guilty, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
Alexander was apprehended in Jamaica on November 15, 2024, following a U.S. provisional arrest request for extradition purposes. He was extradited to the United States on December 20, 2024, and is currently detained awaiting trial.
The indictment reveals that Alexander led a group involved in illegally exporting firearms and components from Florida to Trinidad and Tobago between 2019 and 2022. The operation included pistols and rifles hidden within boxing equipment, speakers, and household items to evade detection by authorities. The conspirators also engaged in straw purchases of firearms in Tampa by misrepresenting the identities of buyers and recipients.
On April 7, 2021, Alexander instructed his associates to ship a package containing several firearms from Miami to Trinidad and Tobago. This shipment included pistols such as Taurus G2C 9mm and Ruger Security-9 models. Authorities intercepted these items at Piarco International Airport on April 22, 2021.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), supported by multiple agencies including the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service's Transnational Organized Crime Unit. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs played a key role in facilitating Alexander's extradition process.
Assistant United States Attorney David W.A. Chee will prosecute this case under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program aimed at dismantling major transnational criminal organizations.