Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
Officials are blaming illegal firearms for an increase or a record number of killings in a growing number of Caribbean islands this year
By DÁNICA COTO
Published - Nov 13, 2024, 08:52 AM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 05:26 PM EST
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Dozens of soldiers and police fanned out across a neighborhood on a recent night in the Turks & Caicos Islands just days after the archipelago reported a record 40 killings this year.
They were on the hunt for criminals and illegal weapons fueling a surge of violence across the Caribbean as authorities struggle to control a stream of firearms smuggled in from the U.S.
Half an hour into the Oct. 30 operation, one driver tried to run authorities off the road as he tossed a handgun into the bushes.
“Rest assured, we remain committed to disrupting the flow of illicit guns,” Police Superintendent Jason James said hours later.
