A record-breaking surge in gun violence has gripped the Turks & Caicos Islands and other Caribbean nations, with illegal firearms smuggled from the US fuelling a rise in killings across the region.
Just days after the islands reported their highest-ever homicide toll of 40 deaths this year, dozens of soldiers and police mobilised across a neighbourhood to hunt down criminals and seize illegal weapons.
Authorities are determined to disrupt the deadly flow of firearms but face overwhelming challenges as smuggling continues unabated.
During an operation on 30th October, one driver attempted to evade police, throwing a handgun into the bushes. “Rest assured, we remain committed to disrupting the flow of illicit guns,” said Police Superintendent Jason James. Yet the crisis only deepens, with illegal firearms also blamed for escalating or record-setting killings in Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, and other Caribbean nations.
Despite the fact that no Caribbean country manufactures firearms or imports them at scale, the region accounts for five of the top 10 countries globally with the highest murder rates, according to US Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Most guns used in these crimes are sourced from the US, a fact highlighted in a recent letter to US legislators by New York Attorney General Letitia James and 13 other state attorneys general.
They urged new measures to halt the gun pipeline, noting that 90% of firearms in Caribbean violence were originally purchased in the US.
“American-made guns are flowing into Caribbean nations and communities and fuelling violence, chaos, and senseless tragedies throughout the region,” wrote James.
In mid-2023, the US government appointed its first coordinator for Caribbean firearms prosecutions to address weapon trafficking, with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) actively tracing firearms seized in the Caribbean.
ATF data reveals that last year alone, authorities in the Bahamas submitted 266 firearms for tracing, with Jamaica submitting 234, the Dominican Republic 162, and Trinidad and Tobago 143.
Handguns and semi-automatic pistols make up most of the firearms recovered in these investigations. Data from these weapons can help US authorities identify the points of origin and sale, potentially triggering investigations into domestic gun trafficking.
However, halting the smuggling of firearms remains a major struggle, as criminals disassemble weapons and hide their parts within shipping containers bound for the Caribbean.
“As much as you try to harden the infrastructure at the official ports, it is essentially like trying to plug a sift,” said Michael Jones, executive director of the Implementation Agency for Crime and Security at Caricom, a regional trade bloc.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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