SANTO DOMINIGO, Dominican Republic, Mar 5, CMC – The Dominican Republic says it has intercepted and seized a shipment of arms and ammunition that had originated from Miami and was destined for Haiti.
The General Directorate of Customs (DGA), in coordination with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, said they intercepted the shipment containing 36,000 ammunition capsules, 18 rifle magazines, 13 9mm magazines, a 50-caliber rifle magazine, a silencer, and a pistol box.
The operation also uncovered 23 firearms, including high-caliber rifles and an Uzi machine gun.
The authorities said that the shipment, originating from Miami, Florida, was in transit to Haiti when it was seized during a detailed inspection. Among the confiscated weapons were a 50mm caliber Barret rifle, 17 rifles of 7.62 caliber, a 9-caliber rifle, five 9mm Glock pistols, and an Uzi machine gun.
They said that this operation follows a recent seizure of 37 firearms, originating from Brooklyn, which were discovered and seized at the end of February 2025 in the same port at.
The authorities say they are continuing to investigating the case with the support of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the J-2 of the Ministry of Defense, the United States Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and other security agencies.
Criminal gangs in Haiti are seeking to take complete control of the capital, Port au Prince, and have launched several attacks, killing women and children among others.
The United Nations Security Council in 2023 passed a resolution for a Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission, aimed at combating gang violence and restoring stability in the country.
Last year, more than 5,600 people were reported killed across Haiti, with gang violence leaving more than one million people homeless in recent years, according to the U.N.
Illegal firearms were blamed for an increase or a record number of killings n the Caribbean last year. An estimated 90 per cent of weapons used in the region were smuggled in from the United Sates.
CMC/ag/ir/2025