Orlando man, 2 Floridians arrested for smuggling guns to Haiti

FBI: Guns were sent to Haitian gang that kidnapped U.S. missionaries last month

ORLANDO, Fla. – Three Floridians were arrested by the FBI this month for conspiracy, smuggling, and exporting illegal weapons to Haiti, according to a federal arrest warrant.

Eiliane Tunis, a U.S. citizen and resident of Florida, Jocelyn Dor, a Haitian citizen who resides in the Orlando area, and Walder St. Louis, a Haitian citizen who resides in Florida, were all named in the complaint by the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

Dor sat through his initial appearance Tuesday afternoon at the Federal courthouse in downtown Orlando listening to the judge through an interpreter.

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The same Haitian gang that kidnapped 16 American missionaries last month heading to a local orphanage near Port-au-Prince was obtaining hand-picked tactical weapons delivered to them in Haiti, bought illegally in Florida, according to the complaint.

The suspects were shopping for “firearms and ammunition, from the United States to supply to members of the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti,” the complaint read.

The FBI said the three would take orders from the Mawozo, shopping across Florida, including Orlando, for pistols, assault rifles and a Barrett fifty caliber rifle, which costs as much as $15,000.

The Barrett fires specialized bullets.

Orlando suspect Dor texted, “...I want those bullets. When you shoot, they’re like bombs. They make so much damage. It’s so powerful it catches fire like a bomb…” according to the complaint.

The guns were shipped to Haiti hidden in barrels.

A federal prosecutor told the judge that Dor is facing as many as 35 years in prison if convicted.

The case now moves to Washington but before that Dor will be back in federal court in Orlando Friday afternoon for a detainment hearing.

Until then, Dor remains in Federal custody at the Orange County Jail.

Tunis and St. Louis were picked up at the beginning of November.


About the Author:

Erik von Ancken anchors and reports for News 6 and is a two-time Emmy award-winning journalist in the prestigious and coveted "On-Camera Talent" categories for both anchoring and reporting.