Shem Wayne Alexander, 36, who prosecutors say led a transnational criminal organization that funneled guns to the Caribbean, was sentenced in Tampa on Monday, February 23, 2026 to 57 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to smuggle firearms from the United States to Trinidad and Tobago.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, U.S. District Judge John L. Badalamenti imposed the 57-month term and ordered Alexander to forfeit the firearms seized in the case. The office said Alexander had previously pleaded guilty, and that the prosecution, handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam W. McCall, covered unlawful exports of firearms and firearm components from Florida to Trinidad and Tobago between April 2019 and April 2022.
Reporting in Trinidad and Tobago’s Newsday details how Alexander was taken into custody in Jamaica on November 15, 2024 and extradited to the United States on December 20, 2024 to face the charges. Newsday also notes his ties to Gateway Athletics and that he took a leave of absence from that role after his arrest.
How Authorities Say The Ring Hid Weapons
Prosecutors say Alexander and his co-conspirators tried to keep the weapons off law enforcement’s radar by stashing guns and parts inside household goods and sporting equipment. Court exhibits include X‑rays and photos of two punching bags that, once cut open, revealed pistols, AR‑15 components, magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. The U.S. Attorney’s Office says that across the conspiracy, more than 200 firearms were shipped from the United States to Trinidad and Tobago.
International Investigation And Cooperation
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and U.S. agencies including USCIS, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, according to reporting by Newsday. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Jamaican authorities also provided support for Alexander’s extradition.
What Comes Next
Alexander’s sentence closes the U.S. portion of the prosecution, and federal officials also sought forfeiture of the seized firearms as part of the judgment. Investigators said the case highlights ongoing efforts to disrupt transnational arms trafficking from Florida to the Caribbean and underscores how heavily such prosecutions rely on international law-enforcement cooperation.
