Up to 20 years in prison for arms trafficking facing in the United States a youth soccer promoter from Trinidad and Tobago
Shem Wayne Alexander (35), a well-known sports manager from Trinidad, is facing up to 20 years in federal prison in the U.S. for leading a network that trafficked firearms from Florida to Trinidad and Tobago, revealing a criminal structure that fuels Caribbean violence.
According to the Middle District of Florida Prosecutor’s Office, between 2019-2022, Alexander – director of Gateway Athletics and coordinator of MIC-IT – concealed handguns and rifles in boxing equipment, speakers, and domestic shipments. His accomplices used “phantom buyers” in Tampa to procure weapons, falsifying identities and destinations. A significant seizure took place in April 2021 at Piarco Airport (Trinidad): authorities found 4 hidden 9mm pistols in a shipment sent by Alexander from Miami.
The case, investigated by Homeland Security with support from Trinidad police, exposes the regional magnitude of arms trafficking. A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO, 2024) states that:
– 73% of firearms recovered from Caribbean crimes (2018-2022) originated from the U.S.
– Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and Haiti lead the homicide rates in the region, where over half involve firearms.
Venezuela had already warned in June about the arms flow from Trinidad. “Paramilitary groups are bringing weapons in from there,” declared Minister Diosdado Cabello, requesting cooperation for investigation.
Alexander, arrested in Jamaica in November 2024 and extradited to the U.S., symbolizes the dual face of crime: promoting youth soccer while, according to evidence, supplying the networks that bleed the Caribbean dry.
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Context: Each illegal weapon in the Caribbean is resold up to 4 times its price in the U.S. (GAO). Operations like “Hammerhead” aim to halt the flow, but customs corruption and lack of resources limit their impact.