Guns and weapons trafficked from US fueling Haiti gang violence

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The ongoing violence and instability in Haiti have been fueled by a steady influx of guns and weapons smuggled from the United States, according to experts. Despite Haiti's lack of firearms manufacturing capabilities, its streets have become battlegrounds adorned with high-powered rifles, shotguns, and automatic weapons, largely originating from states with lenient gun laws such as Florida, Arizona, and Georgia.

 

This clandestine trade has provided Haiti's gangs with an extensive arsenal, significantly outmatching the country's law enforcement agencies. With an estimated 500,000 small arms in circulation, only a fraction of them legally registered, the situation has escalated due to an increase in trafficking operations in recent years.

 

Robert Muggah, a security expert from the Igarapé Institute, highlights the role of straw purchasers in obtaining firearms from the US, particularly in states with weak regulations. These weapons, ranging from handguns to military-grade rifles, empower criminal gangs and contribute to a surge in violent crimes, including sexual violence, kidnapping, and displacement.

 

Recent seizures have exposed the ease with which traffickers operate, acquiring weapons through various means and smuggling them into Haiti. US authorities have made efforts to curb this trafficking, but challenges persist due to the sheer volume of goods crossing borders and the lack of resources for screening shipments.

 

The Haitian government's customs and border forces are under-resourced, further exacerbating the problem. With limited personnel and inadequate equipment, monitoring the country's extensive coastline and land borders is a daunting task. As a result, illegal arms trafficking routes have proliferated, including shipments from Florida and smuggling routes over the Dominican Republic border.

 

Additionally, clandestine airstrips scattered throughout Haiti provide alternative means for smuggling weapons, with some airstrips barely monitored. Private aircraft registered in the US further complicate tracking efforts, as they are not required to file official flight plans when flying below 18,000 feet.

 

As long as there is a demand for firearms and ammunition, trafficking from the US to countries like Haiti will persist, driven by both the availability of weapons in the US and the demand from criminal groups in the Caribbean region. Addressing this issue requires coordinated efforts to strengthen enforcement, enhance border security, and disrupt illicit trafficking networks. Without effective measures, the cycle of violence fueled by the illegal arms trade is likely to continue unabated.

 

15.03.24

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[Tug]

Not in the least surprised heck who do you think arms the drug cartels?lots and lots of (good old boys)

[Skipalongcassidy]

Yes... let's put the blame on the real culprit in this worldwide travesty... if guns were never manufactured then the violence would all go away... 555 

Oh wait... there was plenty of violence before guns... I wonder if the real problem might just be the "BAD ACTORS" of the world.

[impulse]

Strange that in almost all of the photos I've seen of thugs with guns from Haiti, they've usually had Soviet (and FSU) AK47's.  And I doubt they were bought at retail in Florida or Georgia, where even a 2nd hand AK47 sells for hundreds of $$$.  And AR15's cost just as much and more.

 

More likely they came from elsewhere, where they can be bought for less than $100. 

 

There is, of course, a possibility that they traversed Florida or Georgia on their way to Haiti, but that's not due to any laxity in their gun laws. More like lack of enforcement of customs laws.  Which are federally, not state enforced (or not).  Who's in charge of that nowadays, I wonder?

 

Edited March 15 by impulse