Two TT nationals charged in Florida with shipping arms to Trinidad and Tobago

Two Trinidad and Tobago nationals and an American have been charged with sending a shipment of high-powered assault rifles and pistols through a Piarco courier.

The United States Department of Justice said on Wednesday, the men are members of a Caribbean arms-trafficking ring.

A statement from the US Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida said Tevin O'Brian Oliver, 29, a Trinidadian living in Homestead, Florida, Jameal Kaia Phillip, 30, of TT, and Edward Soloman King III, 31, Tampa, Florida, have been jointly charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the US. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.

US Attorney Roger B. Handberg made the announcement after the unsealing of an indictment.

The indictment said, Oliver, Phillip, and King allegedly unlawfully exported firearms, firearms components, and related items, from Florida to TT between 2019 and 2022.

The firearms were concealed within boxing/fight equipment, speakers, and other household items, the statement said.

The prosecution's case is that the men are accused of acquiring firearms in the Tampa area from different sellers, "through straw purchases, falsely representing the identities of the actual purchasers and recipients of the firearms, as well as their ultimate destination."

The release said, on April 7, 2021 Oliver allegedly shipped a package concealing and containing various firearms and related equipment, including a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol, a SAR Arms SAR-9 9mm pistol, a Taurus G3 9mm pistol, and a Ruger Security-9 9mm pistol, from Miami to TT.

On April 22, 2021, police were called in at the Piarco airport and, after searching packages at a courier bond, seized those firearms making one of the single largest arms find in recent years.

King was arrested and appeared in a federal court in the Middle District of Florida on October 25. Phillip was arrested and appeared in a federal court in the Southern District of Florida that same day. Oliver was arrested and appeared in a federal court in the Southern District of Florida on October 26.

Assistant US Attorney Patrick Scruggs has been assigned to prosecute the case.

On October 2, Newsday reported US authorities have made major inroads in going after gun traffickers responsible for sending weapons into TT, including last year's discovery of 30 firearms, including 15 high-powered assault rifles, 13 pistols, and nearly 1,000 rounds of assorted ammunition, at a Piarco bond.

The report said the arms smuggling was part of a multi-pronged probe by the Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the US AG's Office and local law enforcement.

The disclosure was made during an interview at the US Embassy on September 27 with (ATF) assistant regional attaché Michael Graham and Special Agent for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Randal Hill.

Local assistance was provided by the Transnational Organised Crime Unit and Special Investigations Unit of the police service, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and US Customs and Border Protection.