📢 A fresh study titled "Pathway to Policy: Firearms Trafficking and Public Health in the Caribbean" landed on December 2, 2025, revealing how the United States has become the top source of illegal guns wreaking havoc across the Caribbean islands.
Here’s the lowdown:
- From 2017 to early 2025, Caribbean law enforcement seized 29 illicit gun shipments at ports. Shocker: 27 originated in the U.S. 🔫
- Most weapons move by sea—imagine a container full of troubles riding waves from Florida and Georgia all the way to Kingston or Nassau. 🚢
- Florida and Georgia alone account for nearly 70% of the seized arms in places like the Bahamas and Jamaica. 🤯
Why it matters: rising gang violence, hospital shootings, and even kids being recruited into armed groups are strongly linked to this influx of guns. The report warns these trends fuel a cycle of violence that hits communities hardest where resources are already stretched thin.
What’s next: The authors urge U.S. authorities to tighten export rules, boost port inspections, and track suspicious shipments more closely. A stronger cross-border strategy could curb the flow and help protect vulnerable Caribbean neighborhoods.
For our South and Southeast Asian readers, this serves as a reminder: global gun policies can ripple far beyond borders. 📲 Staying informed and pushing for accountability everywhere is key to safer streets worldwide.
Reference(s):
Report identifies U.S. as major source of gun violence in Caribbean
cgtn.com
