Measures are being taken by the US Government to stop the trafficking of weapons to the Caribbean.
On Friday, Anthony Salisbury, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, and other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) partners made the announcement.
HSI and its partners will investigate and prosecute any individuals involved in illegal arms trafficking, Salisbury said. “Today we make it clear that the United States, and especially south Florida, are not open for business when it comes to illegal weapon trafficking.”
The number of illegally trafficked weapons, calibers, and types of firearms has substantially increased, Salisbury said. Among them are sniper rifles of .50 caliber, 308 rifles, and belt-fed machine guns.
“In the wrong hands, these weapons could cause mass casualties,” he said.
A surge in gang-related and reprisal murders in The Bahamas this year has been linked to guns trafficked from the US. 88 murders have been recorded in the country this year, most of them committed by men on remand.
Measures to stop the flow of illegal weapons include extra resources being placed into the Border Enforcement Security Taskforce and increased inspections of US export shipments to ensure compliance with federal laws.
Agencies are also leveraging information developed from investigations and partnerships with foreign customs officials and police to target shipments and individuals that may be engaged in smuggling.
