Crimo Boss Gets 5 Years for Gun Smuggling in Trinidad

TAMPA, Fla. – The grimy reality of international gunrunning hit close to home as Shem Wayne Alexander, 36, of Port of Spain, Trinidad, was sentenced to four years and nine months in the slammer for his role in a firearms smuggling conspiracy. Alexander’s criminal enterprise spanned from Florida to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, where he and his co-conspirators were accused of exporting over 200 firearms and related items.

The shipment that ended Alexander’s sentence was intercepted on April 21, 2021, at Piarco International Airport. Inside two punching bags labeled as “household items,” authorities found a cache of weapons including nine mm pistols, revolvers, shotguns, AR-15 components, magazines, ammunition, and more.

HSI Tampa led the investigation, with support from multiple agencies including ATF, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Customs and Border Protection, and more. Alexander was extradited from Jamaica to face charges in the United States.

Homeland Security Investigations Tampa Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt highlighted the collaboration needed to bring down such sophisticated criminal organizations. “Removing these weapons from the hands of dangerous criminals protects public safety and upholds the integrity of our borders,” he said.

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Learn more about this case here.