The echo of gunfire has become a grim backdrop to life in Haiti’s capital, where up to 100 gangs now control the majority of Port-au-Prince, many of them armed with weapons bought in the US.
A UN report in March described how the flow of arms frequently begins with a ‘straw buyer’, who legally purchases weapons in US states with loose gun laws. The firearms and ammunition are then transported to Florida where they are concealed and shipped to Haiti. In early 2024, Jocelyn Dor, a Florida resident, was convicted of aiding the supply of at least 24 firearms plus ammunition to the notorious 400 Mawozo gang.
