November 12, 2026
Illegal firearms trafficking and the growing sophistication of criminal networks have emerged as major security concerns for the Caribbean, with regional security officials calling for stronger cooperation to prevent weapons from reaching criminal groups.
The issue was highlighted at the 29th Meeting of the CARICOM Council for National Security and Law Enforcement (CONSLE), held in Paramaribo, Suriname, from November 10 to 11, where Ministers and senior law enforcement officials discussed regional responses to organised crime and other security threats.
Suriname’s Minister of Justice and Security and CONSLE Chair, Harish Monorath, warned that illegal firearms continue to fuel violent crime and gang activity across the region, with criminal networks increasingly exploiting borders, ports and maritime routes to move weapons, drugs and other illicit goods.
“Across the Caribbean, firearms remain a significant enabler of violent crime and gang activity. Criminal groups are becoming more organised, more sophisticated and increasingly transnational,” Monorath said.
For Guyana, the discussions carry particular importance as the country works with regional and international partners to address organised crime, illegal weapons and threats to public safety.
Monorath stressed that no CARICOM Member State could tackle firearms trafficking alone, pointing to the need for stronger intelligence-sharing, better weapons-tracing capabilities and coordinated action among law enforcement agencies.
He identified the implementation of the Caribbean Firearms Roadmap as a key regional priority, with efforts expected to focus on identifying the sources of illegal weapons, tracking their movement and disrupting the networks responsible for trafficking them.
During Suriname’s chairmanship of CONSLE, the regional firearms agenda will be one of three priorities, with particular emphasis on improving intelligence-sharing and cooperation among police, customs, immigration, coast guard and prosecutorial authorities.
Suriname has also moved to strengthen its domestic response, launching a digital firearms register earlier this year with support from the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS). The system is intended to improve the monitoring and tracing of firearms.
“Above all, we need the political will to treat these issues as closely linked elements of one collective Caribbean security challenge,” Monorath said.
The two-day meeting brought together Ministers responsible for national security and law enforcement to discuss practical responses to shared threats and advance regional security strategies.
CONSLE is responsible for coordinating CARICOM’s regional security efforts, including the development of a common security strategy, intelligence-sharing, cooperation against serious crime and measures to address threats to the territorial integrity and stability of Member States.
The meeting underscored the importance of a coordinated regional approach as criminal networks become increasingly transnational, making cooperation among Caribbean states central to efforts to protect their citizens.
Source: News Room Guyana
See also FIREARMS TRAFFICKING EMERGES AS TOP REGIONAL SECURITY THREAT, CONSLE CHAIR WARNS – CARICOM (contains links to CARICOM Policy Framework)