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In what some might call a sad but unsurprising twist, Williamson Dossous, a 50-year-old man from Cape Coral, Florida, was arrested at Miami International Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle a cache of firearms and ammunition to Haiti, a country already overwhelmed by violence and instability. And no, this wasn’t an outsider sabotaging Haiti. This time, it’s one of its own.
According to federal investigators, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at PortMiami inspected a cargo container in January 2025 labeled “used household goods and personal effects,” destined for Cap-Haïtien. Inside, they found 10 pistols, 18 high-capacity magazines, and more than 2,200 rounds of ammunition carefully hidden among clothing and wrapped in aluminum foil. Because nothing says “personal effects” quite like ammo and handguns.
The shipper’s name? Williamson Dossous. Initially, he claimed ignorance. But in a court-authorized wiretap, Dossous was heard saying his fingerprints would likely be found on the guns and that yes, he had handled them. So much for playing innocent.
He was arrested on July 14 while trying to catch a flight to Haiti, perhaps to greet his illegal shipment personally. He now faces two federal charges: smuggling goods from the United States and transporting firearms and ammunition via a common carrier without proper notification.
Dossous was later released on a $300,000 personal surety bond, with the standard passport surrender and curfew. That’s a small price to pay for someone accused of fueling violence in a nation already choking on weapons and corruption.
Authorities say Dossous has been shipping containers to Haiti for more than 20 years, usually two to three per year. While he denied knowing anything about the weapons in question, a confidential informant recorded several conversations where Dossous discussed the very items now at the center of the investigation.
A quick search of Florida’s Division of Corporations database reveals that Dossous once ran a transportation business, True Image Transportation Corporation, back in 2017. The company, which has since been dissolved, was registered to a Fort Myers address. Apparently, the “true image” had nothing to do with transparency or lawfulness.
In Haiti, media outlets have begun reporting on the arrest, with many citizens expressing outrage. Not only because weapons are once again being funneled into the country, but because they’re being sent by someone who should know better.
Dossous is expected back in federal court later this summer. If convicted, he faces significant prison time. But even more than that, his case serves as a bitter reminder that Haiti’s problems aren’t always caused by foreign intervention. Sometimes, they come stamped with a Haitian last name and an American shipping label.
