By: Staff Writer
December 9, 2025
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) along with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), said in a joint report that American gun retailers in the south are responsible for the majority of firearms into the Caribbean.
This Report, Pathway to Policy: Firearms Trafficking and Public Health in the Caribbean, “Deepens understanding of the types and sources of illicit weapons, and the mechanics of arms trafficking. Handguns still account for most of the firearms seized in the region, despite slow but steady increases in seizures of specific types of rifles, namely AR- and AK-pattern rifles, in shipments from the United States.
“Also notable is the increase in seizures of large-capacity magazines, as well as the continued circulation of privately made firearms and conversion devices. Traffickers, shipping companies, and firearm retailers based in the United States, and particularly in the states of Florida and Georgia, continue to be central actors in the illicit flow of weapons from the country. The United States is not the only source of illicit firearms in the region, however.
“Half of the firearms seized in the Caribbean and successfully traced through INTERPOL in recent years were traced to countries other than the United States, including in South America, highlighting the importance of a regional response.
The Caribbean continues to suffer from high rates of gun violence, with the situation deteriorating over time and trends varying by jurisdiction. The proportion of homicides perpetrated with firearms increased substantially to reach 86% in 2023-24, partly due to the deteriorating conditions in Haiti.
Maritime consignments from the United States are a primary vector for illicit trafficking, with procurement clustered in small southern areas, primarily in Florida. Seizures of rifles—especially AR- and AK-pattern models—have risen in recent years, but still comprise a small percentage of all seized firearms.
The average direct medical costs of treatment provided to patients with gunshot wounds greatly exceed annual healthcare expenditures per capita, as well as the costs of care for patients injured by other types of weapons. Firearm-related violence continues to divert scarce public resources towards dealing with the impacts of violence—that could otherwise be invested in prevention, education, and development.
The report also said: “The trafficking and misuse of firearms affect all segments of society, including the public health sector.
“Facilities are sometimes targeted by the perpetrators of violence, while personnel work under stressful conditions, having to prioritize emergency care for gunshot wound patients over routine but important care for other patients.
“Consistent with the 2023 Caribbean Firearms Study, this Report found that the average direct medical costs of treatment provided to patients with gunshot wounds greatly exceed annual healthcare expenditures per capita, as well as the costs of care for patients injured by other types of weapons.
“The research also documents significant disability and productivity losses due to firearm injuries, and highlights the young age of some of the victims. Firearm-related violence therefore continues to divert scarce public resources towards dealing with the impacts of violence—which could otherwise be invested in violence prevention, education, and development.”