Man arrested in Jamaica admits role in firearms trafficking to Trinidad

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC - A Trinidad and Tobago man who was arrested in Jamaica last year has pleaded guilty in a United States court to conspiring to smuggle firearms from Florida to his homeland, the US Embassy has confirmed.

The accused, 35-year-old Shem Wayne Alexander, faces up to five years in federal prison following his plea.

Alexander was held in Jamaica on November 15, 2024, under a US provisional arrest request, and later extradited to the United States on December 20.

US authorities said that between April 2019 and April 2022, Alexander and others illegally exported firearms, components, and ammunition from Florida to Trinidad and Tobago. One 2021 shipment intercepted at Piarco International Airport concealed pistols, revolvers, a shotgun, AR-15 parts, magazines, and hundreds of rounds inside punching bags.

The Embassy praised the cooperation of law enforcement agencies in Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and the US, noting the prosecution as part of a broader crackdown on transnational criminal networks.

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