Dominican authorities intercepted a large arsenal of weapons and ammunition bound for Haiti during an inspection at the port of Santo Domingo. This seizure, which includes military-grade rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition, highlights the extent of arms trafficking in the region.
According to the Dominican newspaper Diario Libre, the operation allowed security forces to confiscate:
- A Barrett .50 caliber rifle
- 17 rifles of 7.62 mm caliber
- A 9 mm caliber rifle
- Five Glock 9 mm pistols
- A Uzi submachine gun
- 36,000 rounds of various calibers
- 18 rifle magazines and 13 9 mm magazines
- A .50 caliber rifle magazine
- A suppressor and a box of pistols
Local authorities have yet to disclose details about the shippers and intended recipients of this shipment. However, this seizure is part of an ongoing effort to combat arms smuggling, which fuels insecurity in Haiti.
This confiscation comes as the Dominican Republic takes a tougher stance on Haiti’s security crisis. On February 27, Dominican President Luis Abinader officially classified Haitian gangs as “terrorist organizations,” criticizing the international community’s lack of action in addressing the issue.
Under this new classification, any individual affiliated with a gang who crosses the Dominican border may be prosecuted under the country’s anti-terrorism laws, which carry severe prison sentences.
The illegal flow of weapons into Haiti directly contributes to the growing power of armed gangs that terrorize the population. Reports indicate that a significant portion of the weapons used by these criminal groups comes from smuggling routes originating in the United States and the Caribbean region, often passing through the Dominican Republic.
This latest seizure underscores the scale of the trafficking problem and highlights the urgent need for regional governments to strengthen cooperation in curbing the supply of weapons to criminal groups operating in Haiti.
As the country faces an unprecedented security crisis, this interception of arms and ammunition serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for coordinated actions to curb the proliferation of illegal weapons and restore security for the Haitian population.