JACKSONVILLE, Florida — A federal indictment has been returned against Francesca Charles, a 28-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Florida, along with Jacques Pierre, 32, and his brother, Jeff Pierre, 34, both citizens of Haiti residing in Florida. The trio faces charges of conspiracy to smuggle goods and unlawfully ship firearms, according to United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
In February 2025, officials in the Dominican Republic seized a shipment from Miami, Florida, containing 18 rifles, 5 handguns, firearms magazines, over 36,000 rounds of ammunition, and a silencer. The shipment, destined for Haiti, was falsely declared as household goods, stated the source. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) identified the defendants as purchasers of at least 20 of the 23 firearms seized.
The investigation revealed that the defendants acquired at least 46 firearms between May 2024 and February 2025, with 37 purchased between August 9, 2024, and February 10, 2025. Among these were two Barrett .50-caliber rifles, one of which was found in the intercepted shipment. Travel and shipping records indicated that the co-conspirators arranged shipments to Haiti shortly after purchasing firearms and traveled to the region around the time of the shipments’ arrivals…