Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
Merrick B. Garland, Attorney General | https://www.justice.gov/
Jean Wiltene Eugene, a resident of Key West, Florida, admitted guilt in a U.S. District Court for his involvement in a firearms smuggling operation transporting weapons from Florida to Haiti. The 57-year-old was charged with one count of smuggling and sentencing has been set for July 22.
The announcement came from U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Sue J. Bai of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Justin Fleck from the Miami Field Office.
As per court documents, Eugene, a U.S. citizen born in Haiti, exported over two firearms to the country on or about September 23, 2021, without obtaining the necessary license from the Bureau of Industry and Security in Washington, D.C. Individuals found guilty of exporting firearms without authorization risk penalties of up to $1 million and a maximum of 20 years imprisonment.
Court records indicate Eugene organized shipments of vehicles to Haiti via a Florida-based export company, agreeing to conditions asserting the absence of firearms or ammunition in the shipments. In 2020 and 2021, Eugene, however, admitted during a law enforcement interview that he concealed firearms inside two vehicles shipped to Haiti. Eugene revealed he camouflaged the weapons with food and other items to evade inspection by border authorities.
Further interviews with federal agents revealed that nine firearms purchased in Key West by Eugene were stored at his Haitian gas station, none remaining within the United States. Eugene acknowledged his awareness of the illegality when confronted by federal agents.
Eugene was taken into custody on May 4, 2024, during a traffic stop in Key West, following an active arrest warrant.
The FBI's Miami Field Office led the investigation, with support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement. The case is prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Paschall and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes of the National Security Division.
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