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Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Trafficking

Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Trafficking refers to the unauthorized production, transfer, possession, or circulation of firearms and related equipment in violation of national or international regulations:

Illicit manufacture refers to the production or assembly of firearms, ammunition, or related parts without a proper license or authorization, often conducted outside state oversight.

Illicit transfer refers to the import, export, or transit of SALW in contravention of national laws or international arms control agreements, including transfers to non-state actors or conflict zones.

Illicit possession refers to the unauthorized holding or stockpiling of SALW by individuals, criminal groups, or insurgents in violation of national laws or disarmament agreements.

Beyond the direct threat to human life, SALW trafficking is a major security challenge that fuels armed violence, destabilizes regions, and undermines state authority. This is especially acute in Latin America and the Caribbean, where high rates of firearm-related violence, porous borders, and the influence of transnational criminal organizations have made the region particularly vulnerable to the illicit proliferation of weapons. It contributes to prolonged conflict, enables transnational organized crime, and weakens development and governance efforts, particularly in fragile and post-conflict states. Like other forms of illicit transnational flows, SALW trafficking often intersects with other criminal enterprises, including drug trafficking, terrorism, and human smuggling.

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Apr 16, 2025

Small Arms, Light Weapons Dashboard

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Below is a curated reading list of recommended tools, data sources, and analytical reports related to small arms and light weapons (SALW). For our extensive catalog of SALW and transnational criminal organizations-related resources, please visit our repository using the button to the right.

Oct 10, 2025 — Ghost Guns, Branded Violence: New Trends in the Weapons Seizures Markings: The enduring proliferation of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) remains a critical factor in the security and stability challenges facing Latin America. These armaments fuel organized crime, exacerbate violence, and empower non-state armed actors, thereby undermining governance and public safety. The foundational analysis presented by Andrei Serbin Pont and Alex Miller in the "Small Arms and Light Weapons Black Markets in Latin America" story map established a comprehensive framework for understanding these dynamics (Serbin Pont & Miller, 2022). This report builds upon that essential work, leveraging a new database of open-source seizure incidents to provide a current and granular update on the state of the illicit arms market. The data analyzed, derived from police operations and journalistic reports compiled in the SALW dashboard from Brazil, Argentina, Panama, and Guatemala, reveals a market that is not only robust but also increasingly sophisticated and adaptive. A rigorous examination of the new dataset uncovers two significant phenomena that represent an evolution in the illicit arms trade. First, there is a proliferation of fake Colt markings on assault rifles. Second, the presence of other specific markings such as the "Punisher" skull, on seized firearms introduces another layer of analysis, indicating that weapons are not merely tools of violence but are also powerful symbols of criminal identity and ideology.

Sofia Molina, Andrei Serbin Pont FIU Digital Commons

Oct 6, 2025 — The Grenade Trade: An Illicit Pipeline from Peru to Ecuador: The illicit diversion and trafficking of grenades and other explosives across the Peru-Ecuador border presents a significant and ongoing challenge to regional security. This movement of explosive materials, often originating in Peru and transiting through Ecuador before reaching armed groups in Colombia. The extent of this issue became evident in October 2022, when an investigation by Punto Final identified a lack of effective border controls, which facilitates these illegal transfers. This border vulnerability is a key factor enabling the operation of trafficking networks. The urgency of this matter was highlighted by an Infobae article, which revealed that throughout 2022, Ecuador's Military Intelligence Command consistently communicated concerns to the Peruvian Army, reporting that thousands of explosives, including grenades and other types of weapons, were regularly crossing the Tumbes border.

Sofia Molina, Dr. Andrei Serbin Pont FIU Digital Commons

Oct 6, 2025 — Weapons in the Crosshairs: The Flow of Grenades in Brazil: Incidents involving firearms and grenades are becoming increasingly common, and almost a daily occurrence in Brazil. This situation reflects an escalation in the tactical capabilities of criminal factions, which are actively using high-impact explosives in their operations. High levels of violence and arms trafficking are exacerbated by the alarming number of weapons in the country. The problem is not limited to illegal imports but is also fueled by domestic sources. The "militarization" of criminal groups gives them greater offensive capabilities and a constantly self-sustaining chain of supplies and financial resources, often linked to drug trafficking.

Camila Rojas, Dr. Andrei Serbin Pont FIU Digital Commons

Jun 2, 2025 — Guns, Gangs, and Borders: Tracking the Illicit Arms Trade in Honduras: Honduras faces a serious problem of illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, which fuels the high rates of violence and crime in the country. This phenomenon has been exacerbated by a combination of structural weaknesses — including porous borders, corruption, limited stockpile management, and under-resourced law enforcement institutions. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Central America remains one of the regions most affected by illicit firearm flows, with trafficking often enabled by the diversion of state-held weapons, theft, and transnational smuggling routes that exploit weak controls and surveillance capacities (UNODC 2020, 15–17). Gangs, drug traffickers, and other criminal groups benefit from the proliferation of illegal weapons, reaching from pistols to assault rifles and explosives. Honduran authorities conduct frequent operations to seize these weapons; in recent years (2021-2024), dozens of weapon seizure incidents have been documented across the national territory in the SALW Dashboard. This report analyzes patterns and trends observed in these real cases – based on information from 95 documented incidents of firearm seizures that illustrate the dynamics of arms trafficking in Honduras. Additionally, the report will examine the trafficking routes of the seized weapons, the variety of weapon types and emerging trends, the main geographical “hotspots,” and the links of this phenomenon with the local criminal organizations.

Sofia Molina, Dr. Andrei Serbin Pont FIU Digital Commons

Mar 24, 2025 — Weapons in the Crosshairs: Colombia’s Shifting Small Arms Trade and Venezuela’s Growing Role: Recent events in Colombia underscore the complex dynamics of its illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW) trade, notably influenced by Venezuelan sources. The frequent seizure of diverse weaponry—including AR-15 rifles, Venezuelan-marked AK-103s, and military-grade arms—highlights extensive diversion from military stockpiles in both countries. Addressing this challenge requires cross-border cooperation, improved security of arms stocks, and comprehensive efforts targeting the broader regional drivers of armed conflict.

Andrei Serbin Pont FIU Digital Commons

Dec 16, 2024 — Argentina’s Illicit Firearms Market: A Unique Case in Latin America: Argentina's illicit firearms market uniquely differs from other Latin American countries due to low domestic demand and the absence of territorial conflicts between criminal groups and state forces. Its illegal firearms primarily originate from unregistered civilian arms, private security stocks, and state force diversions. Although domestic demand remains modest, substantial price differentials fuel cross-border trafficking, particularly to high-demand markets like Brazil, exacerbating regional security challenges.

Andrei Serbin Pont FIU Digital Commons

Aug 1, 2024 — 3D Firearms on the Horizon: Latin America and the Caribbean is a region with very diverse illegal firearms markets but with an overall trend towards growing demand of weapons by criminal organizations and parastate armed organizations. As such, over the last decade we have seen a considerable shift from acquisition of these firearms via state diversion towards an increasing inflow of firearms coming from foreign markets, mainly the US civilian market, as well as Turkish and Chinese weapons. Yet as demand continues to grow, along with prices for firearms in this market, it was just a matter of time before 3D printed firearms found their niche in Latin America.

Andrei Serbin Pont FIU Digital Commons

Jun 10, 2025 — Firearms Trace Data: The Caribbean - 2024: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Tracing Center (NTC) is the U.S.’s sole crime gun tracing facility, supporting domestic and international law enforcement efforts to investigate firearms crimes and trafficking. In 2024, the NTC traced over 616,000 firearms, including for 76 foreign countries. Firearms tracing involves identifying a gun’s movement from its manufacturer or importer to its first retail purchaser to generate investigative leads.

This report focuses on firearms recovered and traced in 2024 from five Caribbean countries: The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Traces are organized by the year of recovery—not the year the trace was initiated—to better capture trends. If no recovery date is available, the trace is categorized by the year it was entered into ATF’s Firearms Tracing System.

Key criteria for the analysis include excluding duplicates, including only traces from 2024, and using data current as of March 10, 2025. Not all traces may have been completed at the time of analysis, and minor discrepancies may exist due to rounding.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Oct 16, 2024 — Firearms Trace Data: The Caribbean - 2023: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Tracing Center (NTC) is the U.S.’s sole crime gun tracing facility, supporting domestic and international law enforcement efforts to investigate firearms crimes and trafficking. In 2023, the NTC traced over 630,000 firearms, including for 77 foreign countries. Firearms tracing involves identifying a gun’s movement from its manufacturer or importer to its first retail purchaser to generate investigative leads.

This report focuses on firearms recovered and traced in 2023 from five Caribbean countries: The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. Traces are organized by the year of recovery—not the year the trace was initiated—to better capture trends. If no recovery date is available, the trace is categorized by the year it was entered into ATF’s Firearms Tracing System.

Key criteria for the analysis include excluding duplicates, including only traces from 2023, and using data current as of March 11, 2024. Not all traces may have been completed at the time of analysis, and minor discrepancies may exist due to rounding.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Sep 27, 2023 — Firearms Trace Data: The Caribbean - 2022: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) National Tracing Center (NTC) is the U.S.’s sole crime gun tracing facility, supporting domestic and international law enforcement efforts to investigate firearms crimes and trafficking. In 2023, the NTC traced over 599,000 firearms, including for 68 foreign countries. Firearms tracing involves identifying a gun’s movement from its manufacturer or importer to its first retail purchaser to generate investigative leads.

This report focuses on firearms recovered and traced in 2022 from five Caribbean countries: The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago. Traces are organized by the year of recovery—not the year the trace was initiated—to better capture trends. If no recovery date is available, the trace is categorized by the year it was entered into ATF’s Firearms Tracing System.

Key criteria for the analysis include excluding duplicates, including only traces from 2022, and using data current as of March 10, 2023. Not all traces may have been completed at the time of analysis, and minor discrepancies may exist due to rounding.

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Oct 15, 2024 — Caribbean Firearms: Agencies Have Anti-Trafficking Efforts in Place, But State Could Better Assess Activities: The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent agency that supports Congress, conducted a review of U.S. efforts to combat firearms trafficking to the Caribbean. The report was prompted by high levels of violence in countries like Haiti, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, which had some of the world’s highest murder rates in 2021. Many of the firearms used in these crimes were reported to have originated from the United States.

Between 2018 and 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) traced 7,399 firearms recovered in the Caribbean, with 73 percent found to have come from the U.S.—mostly handguns. As Caribbean nations do not manufacture firearms, weapons are smuggled in by air and sea using various concealment methods and often circulate through illicit markets.

GAO conducted site visits and interviews with officials from the U.S. and six Caribbean nations. Based on its findings, GAO recommended that the U.S. Department of State update the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) Results Framework to include indicators specific to firearms trafficking. The State Department agreed with the recommendation.

United States Government Accountability Office United States Government Accountability Office

Nov 19, 2024 — Under the Gun: Firearms Trafficking in Latin America and the Caribbean: Although only 8 percent of the world lives in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the region accounts for a third of all homicides worldwide. LAC cities consistently top international rankings as some of the most violent locales outside of active conflict zones. Behind this insecurity are powerful and deeply entrenched transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) trafficking drugs and other illegal commodities, who in turn rely on a seemingly endless flow of illicit firearms to carry out their campaigns of violence and intimidation on the Western Hemisphere’s inhabitants. Arms trafficking goes well beyond a law enforcement challenge; the proliferation of semi- and fully automatic rifles, grenade launchers, and various high-caliber weapons are increasingly used by TCOs to hold at risk the very sovereignty of LAC governments. Stories from Mexico, Haiti, Ecuador, and beyond all underscore how the scourge of illicit weapons, and the groups who wield them, can plunge communities, and even whole countries, into violence.

Leveraging new data sources, this report examines the prevalence and patterns of arms trafficking within and between each of the four subregions. Recognizing the nature of the threat arms trafficking presents to the Western Hemisphere at large, the report seeks to define the contours of a new strategy to combat illegal guns, concluding with recommendations for the United States, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean to pursue.

Christopher Hernandez-Roy, Henry Ziemer, Azucena Duarte Center for Strategic & International Studies

Jan 2, 2022 — The Armed Arena: Arms Trafficking in Central America: To explain the high rates of violence in Central America’s Northern Triangle, this article argues that it is rooted in an armed arena comprised of state and nonstate actors with roles in security, ranging from the military to organized crime. In this space of collaboration, those actors bring resources and reap rewards, strengthening their relationships in the process. Of the many activities within the armed arena, one of the most destructive is the trafficking of firearms. Based on fieldwork in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, this article focuses on two sets of relationships that demonstrate the armed arena’s strength. The first set is the area of criminal justice, centered on investigations, ballistics, inventories, and destruction of arms. The second is the arms market: regional trafficking, internal arms sales, and the state’s licensing system. Evaluating governmental responses, the final section shows that arms control policies are most effective when they target and disrupt these relationships.

Mark Ungar Cambridge University Press