Escalation of U.S. Guns and Ammunition to Latin America and the Caribbean, Intensifying Conflicts

An alarming increase of firearms and ammunition originating from the U.S is intensifying upheavals in Latin America and the Caribbean, areas already beset by severe violence.

Recently, commercial flights traversing the airspace over Haiti faced threats, underscoring the volatile situation in the region. Haiti's lack of a national firearms industry further suggests that the majority of weaponry exacerbating hostilities likely stems from U.S. sources.

Research by Small Arms Survey presents a significant rise—approximately 120%—in the interception of firearm shipments originating from the U.S to the Caribbean and Latin America since 2016.

"Current data clearly indicate that illegal gun traffickers within the U.S. are major contributors to the availability of firearms in the Caribbean and Latin America," stated Matt Schroeder, senior researcher at Small Arms Survey and reporter of the study. "The illicit trade and possession of arms contribute significantly to the growing security threats across these regions."

Their comprehensive analysis, informed by previously inaccessible border seizure data acquired through public record requests, highlights an escalating issue. These figures represent only the intercepted firearms and exclude countless others trafficked or revealed during criminal investigations. Although it remains ambiguous whether this increase is due to more rigorous checks or improved data gathering, the upward trajectory underscores a stable demand for illegal firearms.

American-made guns and ammunition have long been identified by U.S. and global law enforcement as critical drivers of violence and humanitarian crises in countries like Mexico and Haiti. A 2023 report estimated that approximately one million guns are illicitly transported across U.S. borders annually, including formidable military-grade weapons.

This illegal arms trade is increasingly problematic throughout the Caribbean. A report from the Government Accountability Office underscored that firearms originating from the U.S. overwhelmingly drive violence in Caribbean territories. It found that 73% of the weapons retrieved in these areas over a five-year span were traced back to the U.S., with a significant portion sold in states such as Florida, Georgia, and Texas. In particular, these firearms are implicated in 90% of homicides in some of the Caribbean's most affected nations.

The latest insights from the Small Arms Survey mirror broader patterns, indicating significant changes in the types of weapons apprehended en route to the Caribbean. While shipments heading to Latin America, especially Mexico, account for most firearm confiscations, the Caribbean has noted a marked rise in seizures of AK- and AR-pattern rifles, alongside large-capacity magazines.

In shipments bound for Caribbean countries, 77% of seized rifles were identified as AK- and AR-types, compared to 48% for Mexico and 61% for other Latin American regions. Despite a lower total number of rifles intercepted compared to those headed for Latin America, among the Caribbean-targeted shipments, 93% of the recognizable magazines exceeded a 10-round capacity, classifying them as high-capacity.