MIAMI – Federal agents say a man reported he was shipping personal items from PortMiami in a container destined for Haiti, but what he was really trying to ship was a stash of disguised guns.
In a federal criminal complaint, a Homeland Security Investigations agent listed 10 pistols authorities said they found in the shipping container, along with 18 pistol magazines and more than 2,200 rounds of ammunition.
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They said Williamson Dossous was the man listed on the shipping documents.
Dossous, 50, of Cape Coral, appeared in Miami federal court on two criminal charges Monday, one day after agents said they arrested him as he tried to board a flight from Miami to Haiti. The investigation began months prior.
Court documents state that on Jan. 16, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at PortMiami conducted an outbound inspection on a cargo container set to depart on a ship headed for Cap-Haïtien.
Agents “discovered anomalies within bundles of apparent clothing inside the cargo container,” a federal criminal complaint states, and further inspection “revealed that multiple firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories had been wrapped and concealed in aluminum foil among the clothing.”
Authorities said Dossous was listed as the shipper and the contents of the container were described as “LOT OF USED HOUSEHOLD GOODS & PERSONAL EFFECTS.”
“The shipping documents did not include any declaration or disclosure of firearms or ammunition,” the HSI agent wrote in the complaint. “Based on my training and experience, the firearms and ammunition were packed and wrapped in a manner consistent with someone trying to disguise and/or conceal the items.”
Authorities said Dossous didn’t buy any of the firearms but many were purchased by those with “personal connections” to him. Agents said one of those people said Dossous “had driven her to both gun stores” to buy two of the guns.
Two more were bought by Dossous’ son and another was bought by “a patient at a chiropractic center” in which Dossous is listed as a corporate secretary, investigators said.
Authorities said they interviewed Dossous on June 13 and he “acknowledged that he has been shipping cargo containers to Haiti for over 20 years and estimated that he ships approximately 2–3 containers per year."
“He claimed that he was not aware that any of his recent shipments contained firearms or ammunition,” the complaint states.
However, authorities said a confidential informant provided them with a recorded phone call in which they “discussed law enforcement’s attempts to obtain (his) DNA after questioning him about the January 2025 seizure.”
According to the complaint, Dossous said, “They going to get my fingerprints on them (guns) because I touched them... because I was there when he was doing the stuff... I know about the guns, I touched the guns.”
After intercepting Dossous at Miami International Airport and arresting him Sunday, authorities said during the medical clearance process, Dossous “apparently (overheard)” a conversation among agents “next steps in a separate smuggling investigation” and said, “I know my prints are going to be on the guns because I touched them. I’m not going to lie about that.”
Dossous would later be taken north to Broward County to be booked into jail on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service, facing federal charges of smuggling of goods from the United States and delivery of firearms and ammunition to a common carrier without notice.
In court Monday, he posted a $300,000 personal surety bond. Under his bond conditions, Dossous was required to hand over his passport, refrain from visiting “commercial transportation establishment(s)” and stick to a home curfew, among other things.
Local 10 News has contacted Dossous’ Fort Lauderdale-based attorney, Ken Padowitz, seeking comment on his behalf.