News Americas, New York, NY, November 15, 2024: The majority of firearms recovered from crime scenes in the Caribbean were traced to the United States, according to a new report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO). Between 2018 and 2022, Caribbean law enforcement agencies recovered 7,399 firearms, with 73% of them originating from the US.
A constant challenge
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which processes requests to trace firearms from Caribbean countries, found that most of the weapons found were handguns. Although Caribbean countries do not manufacture firearms, criminals obtain them through illegal markets and traffic them using air and sea routes, using various concealment techniques.
A regional crisis
Caribbean nations such as Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago continue to face high levels of violence, with six countries in the region ranking among the top 10 countries in the world for homicide rates in 2021, according to the United Nations Office of United on Drugs and Crime. Firearms originating in the US have been linked to many of these crimes, exacerbating regional instability and straining law enforcement resources.
The report follows a lawsuit filed last year by Mexico. Mexico’s $10 billion lawsuit named several defendants, including major gun makers Smith and Wesson Brands Inc, Sturm, Ruger and Co, Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Inc, Beretta USA Corp, Colt’s Manufacturing Co, Century International Arms Inc, Witmer Public Safety Group Inc. and Glock Inc. .
Several CARICOM countries signed the lawsuit against the weapons brought by Mexico to the US. Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago joined the amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief filed by Mexico appealing a US court ruling to hold arms manufacturers responsible for facilitating trafficking. of deadly weapons across the border.
The fight against firearms trafficking
The US has launched several initiatives to curb arms trafficking in the region, including:
Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, (CBSI): A US partnership with 13 Caribbean countries that funds training programs such as the Weapons of Crime Intelligence Unit to improve intelligence sharing.
International Criminal Investigation Units: Managed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), these units aim to dismantle the networks responsible for firearms trafficking.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Interdictions: From 2018 to 2023, CBP seized 535 firearms and 3,167 firearm components at US ports destined for Caribbean destinations.
Room for Improvement
Despite these efforts, GAO identified gaps in tracking the effectiveness of US initiatives. The CBSI Results Framework lacks specific indicators for measuring success in combating firearms trafficking. The GAO recommended that the State Department develop such metrics to better gauge progress, a suggestion that the State Department has agreed to implement.
The Way Forward
The report highlights the need for stronger international cooperation to tackle firearms trafficking and reduce violence in the Caribbean. Implementing better tracking systems and expanding interdiction efforts can help stem the flow of illegal firearms and improve security across the region.
The GAO’s findings are a call to action for both Caribbean countries and the US to strengthen their collective resolve against arms trafficking and its devastating impacts.
