According to a UN report https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38989-haiti-flash-firearms-trafficking-between-the-united-states-and-haiti-on-the-rise-report-2023.html , the lax gun regulations in the United States, especially in Florida has turned that state into a goldmine for gun smugglers.

"The principal source of firearms and munitions in Haiti is in the US, and in particular Florida," the report report. "[...] Weapons are frequently procured through straw man purchases in US states with looser gun laws and fewer purchasing restrictions."

Once the weapons and ammunition are purchased, traffickers transport the weapons to Haiti from Florida by air, sea and land, often via the Dominican Republic, the report says.

Handguns that sell for between $400 and $500 in the United States can be resold for up to $10,000 in Haiti, according to the UN report, while AK47, AR15 assault rifles.. are particularly in demand and are resold at "correspondingly higher prices..."

According to the report, citing a spokesperson for the US Department of Homeland Security's investigative unit, authorities have recovered "increasingly sophisticated" and powerful weapons, including .50 caliber sniper rifles, .308 rifles and even tape-fed machine guns…

Florida recently became the 26th state in the United States to legalize concealed carry without a license. The law, which is slated to take effect in July after Governor Ron DeSantis signs it, overturned the previous education requirement for a concealed carry license.

Earlier this month, Democratic lawmakers wrote to the US Government Accountability Office asking for a report on the impact of US firearms trafficking to the Caribbean, as well as the types of legislation that could curb activities of this traffic...

China and Russia point fingers at US responsibility :

Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at the Security Council devoted to Haiti, Vassily A. Nebenzia Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations in his intervention also noted that, "[...] faced with the illegal flow of weapons from abroad, the Haitian authorities have lost control of ports and cross-border crossing points, freely used by criminals" The representative observed that "the majority of weapons entering Haiti comes from the United States". Emphasizing that "These traffics are impossible without the participation of the American partners of the Haitian gangs."

For his part, Geng Shuang, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations called for curbing the increase in armed violence and crime, adding that it was necessary to dry up the sources of supply in armaments, including from the United States. "If these sources are not controlled, they will continue to fuel violent and armed behavior and fuel insecurity and instability. We must also implement resolution 2653 (2022) on sanctions and the arms embargo targeting Haitian armed gangs, update the list of sanctions as soon as possible, refine these measures and ensure that there is a monitoring their implementation."

China said it was in favor of a greater role for the countries of the region, which must work in synergy with the UN agencies to improve the situation on the ground. This complex problem has no simple solution, warned the representative, who assured that China will continue to support the people of Haiti to find an effective solution to the scourges they face and to alleviate their suffering.

Read also about arms and ammunition trafficking in Haiti (partial) :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39135-haiti-flash-a-significant-arms-and-ammunition-trafficking-blocked-at-the-judicial-level-investigation.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38172-haiti-justice-ammunition-trafficking-2-haitians-imprisoned-in-the-dominican-republic.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37154-haiti-flash-seizure-of-weapons-and-ammunition-imported-under-cover-of-the-franchise-of-the-episcopal-church-of-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37226-haiti-flash-arrest-of-the-secretary-general-of-the-federation-of-bars-of-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37058-haiti-flash-seizure-of-tens-of-thousands-of-ammunition-at-the-wharf-of-port-de-paix-video.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37146-haiti-flash-25-000-ammunition-seized-a-trafficker-arrested.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35748-haiti-insecurity-drugs-for-guns-trade-between-haiti-and-jamaica.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35213-haiti-flash2-haitians-arrested-in-florida-supplied-with-weapons-the-gang-400-mawozo.html

S/ HaitiLibre