On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, Jean Wiltene Eugene, 57, a U.S. citizen born in Haiti and residing in Key West, Florida, arrested on May 4h, 2024, was sentenced by a U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison and a $20,000 fine for his role in an arms trafficking scheme that enabled the illegal export of firearms to Haiti, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.

Eugene pleaded guilty on April 11, 2025, to one count of smuggling. In addition to the prison term, Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered Eugene to serve 24 months of supervised release.

According to court documents, Eugene exported more than two firearms from the United States to Haiti without having first obtained the required license from the Bureau of Industry and Security, located in the District of Columbia. Anyone who violates the smuggling statute may be fined up to $250,000 and imprisoned for up to 10 years.

Eugene arranged to ship vehicles to Haiti through a Florida-based export company. Eugene signed the company’s terms and conditions of shipments, which required the shipper to affirm that the vehicles did not contain any firearms or ammunition. In a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Eugene admitted that, in 2020 and 2021, he shipped two vehicles to Haiti with firearms hidden inside.

In a later interview with federal agents, Eugene stated that nine firearms he purchased in Key West under his name were currently located at his gas station in Haiti and that none of those firearms remained in the United States. He admitted that he knew it was illegal to ship weapons to Haiti when confronted by the federal agents.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-44731-haiti-usa-haitian-american-pleads-guilty-to-firearms-trafficking-to-haiti.html

SL/ HaitiLibre