Trends in Trafficking: Comparing US-based Firearms Trafficking to the Caribbean and Latin America

Submitted by Katie Lazaro on 20 November, 2024

Situation Update: the Caribbean and Latin America

Newly acquired data on firearms seizures at US ports of exit shows that trafficking dynamics vary significantly between the Caribbean and Latin America, and even within these regions. These differences include the number of seizures, the types of seized weapons, the illegal shipments’ modes of transport, and the seizure locations. Some of these differences are consistent with previous studies, while others are surprising.