Federal authorities in the United States have unsealed court documents detailing serious charges against Kenny James Phillip, a dual citizen of the U.S. and France, for allegedly orchestrating an international firearms smuggling operation from Florida to the Caribbean nation of Dominica. The case exposes sophisticated methods used to traffic weapons through commercial shipping channels.
According to the federal indictment, Phillip utilized a shipping company in Orlando to dispatch multiple packages containing firearms and ammunition disguised as innocuous consumer goods. One intercepted shipment, falsely labeled as ‘clothing,’ was found to contain six firearms with obliterated serial numbers, 13 magazines, and 150 rounds of ammunition. A second package, declared as ‘canned food’ and intercepted in South Florida, concealed six 9mm handguns and 12 magazines destined for Dominica.
Investigators successfully linked both shipments to Phillip after employees at the Orlando shipping facility identified him as the individual who had dropped off the packages. The court documents further reveal that Phillip was already a known fugitive from Dominican justice, having been charged in March 2021 for illegal ammunition possession in his hometown of Calibishie and subsequently denied bail before fleeing to Orlando.
U.S. prosecutors are now emphasizing Phillip’s status as a significant flight risk, citing his dual citizenship and history of evading law enforcement. Defense attorney Rajan Joshi, who specializes in comparable international cases, provided context, noting that the abundance of firearms in the U.S. creates a pipeline feeding a thriving underground weapons market in the Caribbean region.
Phillip is currently being held at a federal detention center in Miami. While specific details of his arrest remain undisclosed, authorities confirm this case underscores the ongoing challenge of transnational criminal networks exploiting global shipping infrastructure to traffic arms to small island nations, presenting persistent security concerns for Caribbean communities.