MIAMI – A Port St. Lucie man pled guilty to unlawfully exporting firearms, firearms accessories and ammunition from South Florida to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil..
Frederik Barbieri, 46, of Ft. Pierce Fla., pleaded guilty to one felony count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States and one felony count of unlicensed exportation of defense articles.
According to court documents, Barbieri conspired with others to possess firearms with obliterated serial numbers and delivered packages containing those firearms to contract carriers for international shipment without providing notice that the packages contained firearms, firearms accessories and ammunition.
During this period a shipment sent by Barbieri was intercepted in Rio de Janeiro by Brazilian law enforcement and found to contain approximately thirty AR-15 and AK-47 rifles and firearm magazines, all concealed in four 38-gallon Rheem water heaters. The water heaters were hollowed out and loaded with the contraband, and the serial numbers on each of the firearms had been obliterated. The same day that Brazilian authorities intercepted his shipment, Barbieri called and requested that the freight forwarder destroy the related paperwork.
From May 2013 to May 2017 Barbieri also shipped to Brazil an additional 120 Rheem water heaters, as well as 520 electric motors and 15 air conditioning units using that freight forwarder. These items are all consistent with objects used to conceal the illegal international shipment of firearms and ammunition. Documentation provided by the freight forwarder revealed Barbieri’s historical shipments.
In February 2018, federal agents executed a warrant to search a storage unit rented by Barbieri in Vero Beach, Fla. In the storage unit, law enforcement discovered 52 rifles, 49 of which were wrapped for shipment with obliterated serial numbers. In addition, law enforcement discovered dozens of high capacity firearm magazines, over 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and packaging materials. Barbieri was arrested the following day.
According to Brazilian law enforcement it is illegal for civilians to possess firearms in Brazil, AK and AR rifles have a black-market value of approximately $15,000 to $20,000. The retail cost of those firearms in the United States is approximately $700 to $1,000.
