December 5, 2025
The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince welcomed the conviction of Michael Adrian Nieto, a former police officer from St. Cloud, Florida, for illegal arms dealing. In an official statement, the American mission recalled: “Another criminal has been arrested and convicted for sending weapons to Haiti (…) The era of impunity is over!” — underlining Washington’s determination to dismantle the networks supplying gangs in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Michael Adrian Nieto (31) was sentenced on August 14, 2025, to three years in federal prison for engaging in arms dealing without a license. Prosecutors accused him of purchasing and reselling at least 58 firearms, some of which ended up in smuggling networks destined for the Caribbean.
The Embassy highlighted the case on its social media, stressing that Nieto’s weapons ended up in the hands of criminals in the region. Its statement echoed a recurring message of recent months: “The United States is holding accountable those who bankroll terrorist gangs in Haiti,” referring to the actors who create or finance these trafficking networks.
This conviction is part of a series of similar cases publicized by the American mission. In February 2024, it had already announced the sentencing of another Florida resident for supplying the 400 Mawozo gang, pointing out that these networks often rely on “straw purchases” and maritime routes to funnel modern weapons into Haiti.
