High-powered firearms and ammunition purchased in the United States and trafficked into the Caribbean have been blamed for a surge in murders across the region, as organised crime groups gain access to increasingly sophisticated weaponry.

Against that backdrop, the United States has pledged to work to cut off the source of guns supplying criminal networks in the Caribbean and Latin America.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the issue on November 25 during remarks to leaders of the Caribbean Community at their 50th Heads of Government meeting in St Kitts and Nevis.

Rubio said Washington recognises that many of the weapons used by organised crime groups are being purchased in the United States.

He said the US is alarmed a the levels of arms the groups have in their possession.

“We recognise that many of these groups are buying weaponry from the United States, and that we are committed and continue to work very hard with our law enforcement agencies to shut that down. I hope you have seen, both in the case of Haiti but in other dynamics, that we have not shied away, not just from designating groups for what they are – these are terroristic organizations – but even individuals who are responsible for being supportive of them. We’ve also gone after them, and this is something that we have as a shared dynamic,” he said.

“We have a long history of working together on responding to these challenges, but I think our cooperation will have to grow even deeper and our commitment to it will have to grow even stronger because these groups grow stronger.

I point you only to something not in the Caribbean Basin, but nonetheless indicative of what we’re – the challenges that we’re facing here, and that is the role that these drug cartels have established for themselves in Mexico. I’m not sure if you’ve seen some of the imagery of these groups after their leader was killed, but they’re out there with full military gear, military weaponry, armed transports – very dangerous. And it is something that we need to address collectively and together.”

Rubio’s remarks come as Trinidad and Tobago, alongside several CARICOM states, joined Mexico in seeking US$10 billion in damages from major United States gun manufacturers.

The case was dismissed on June 5, 2025 by the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled that Mexico could not pursue the lawsuit alleging the companies were complicit in the illicit arms trade to drug cartels and criminal organisations.

Justice Elena Kagan, delivering the opinion of the nine-member panel, stated that the seven manufacturers — including Smith & Wesson, Glock, Ruger and Beretta — were protected under the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

The 2005 legislation shields firearm manufacturers and dealers from liability when crimes are committed by third parties using their products.

Justice Kagan and her colleagues ruled that “indifference” to the trafficking of firearms does not amount to wilfully assisting a criminal enterprise, as alleged by the Mexican government.

“Mexico’s complaint does not plausibly allege that the defendant manufacturers aided and abetted gun dealers’ unlawful sales of firearms to Mexican traffickers,” Justice Kagan said.