U.S. Homeland Security investigators seized more than 23,000 weapons and narcotics bound for Haiti since the start of the year, the U.S. Embassy announced Friday, September 19, 2025, in a statement posted on Facebook and X.
The value of the seized shipments is estimated at more than $1 million. Washington reiterated its commitment to working with Haitian authorities to curb arms and drug trafficking, emphasizing that “Haiti’s security is important to the United States.”
According to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, between 270,000 and 500,000 firearms circulate illegally in Haiti, most of them in the hands of gangs. Increasingly sophisticated weapons, mainly originating from the United States—and in some cases the Dominican Republic and Colombia— intercepted.
Assault rifles and handguns were concealed in shipments of food and clothing, underscoring the complexity of smuggling networks.
An investigation by BBC World Service and BBC Verify traced the supply chain of these weapons, revealing gaps in cargo controls and suspicions of corruption that allow traffickers to bypass the United Nations arms embargo.
William O’Neill, the U.N. Independent Expert on the human rights situation in Haiti, noted that gangs now have access to automatic weapons, sniper rifles, and seemingly unlimited ammunition. Some weapons are capable of piercing armor, making police and multinational security operations extremely dangerous.
Armed violence enables gangs to seize territory, fight rival groups, and dominate the population.
“People are threatened with death if they do not submit to the gangs,” O’Neill explained. Today, nearly 85% of Port-au-Prince is under gang influence or control.
The U.N. expert stressed that the key solution lies in halting the flow of ammunition. “If the gangs ran out of ammunition, the type of weapons they possess would no longer matter. They would collapse from lack of supplies and resources,” he said. O’Neill also called for stronger inspections in the United States, particularly in Florida, and greater resources for the Haitian police, which currently has only 350 officers to patrol a 400-kilometer border.
He further emphasized the need for regional and international cooperation. The Dominican Republic, Haiti’s neighbor, has a vital interest in its stability to prevent violence from spilling across the border. The U.N. Security Council’s arms embargo requires all states to take measures to uphold human rights and stem the flow of weapons to Haiti.
Recent prosecutions in the United States, including the extradition of a former Haitian gang leader, have highlighted the effectiveness of sanctions and tough prison sentences, which can deter traffickers. For O’Neill, stabilizing Haiti would not only reduce violence but also slow the migration of desperate Haitians and create the conditions for lasting social and economic development.
