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Jean Robert Casimir, a 53-year-old naturalized US citizen from Lauderhill, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle at least 140 firearms from Florida to Haiti between August 2020 and December 2024. Casimir, who exploited his access to firearms in the US, disguised his shipments and evaded licensing laws to arm buyers in Haiti. The smuggling operation involved purchasing firearms from Federal Firearms Licensees and a US person in Florida, then using industrial air compressors to smuggle the disassembled guns to Haiti.
Casimir’s guilty plea comes after a thorough investigation by the FBI Miami Field Office, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, and the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The prosecution highlights the ongoing efforts to hold accountable those who treat US export laws as obstacles to be worked around rather than the law of the land.
The firearms smuggled by Casimir included rifles, pistols, and shotguns of various makes and models. The smuggling technique involved cutting open and welding back together industrial air compressors, then packing the disassembled firearms with foam insulation. This elaborate method allowed Casimir to evade detection and export the firearms without the required license from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security.
The guilty plea is a significant outcome in the US government’s efforts to combat firearms trafficking and prevent the illegal export of weapons. The prosecution demonstrates the cooperation between federal agencies and the commitment to enforcing US export laws and keeping weapons out of the hands of those who would use them to fuel violence abroad.
