St. Maarten rifle seizure highlights Caribbean surge in military-style firerams

GREAT BAY--The Police Force of St. Maarten (KPSM) confirms the seizure of a high-powered rifle and ammunition following an early-morning operation in South Reward, underscoring a wider Caribbean trend in which organized criminal networks are moving illegal firearms and ammunition across borders, including a growing concern over military-style rifles and other high-lethality components.

Across the region, investigators and researchers continue to report that handguns remain the most common illegal firearms recovered, but AR- and AK-pattern rifles and large-capacity magazines are increasingly appearing in some Caribbean countries. These weapons and components raise the risk and potential harm associated with violent crime.

South Reward operation and arrest

KPSM confirms a serious development following information received from an international law enforcement partner regarding a male suspect allegedly attempting to sell a high-powered rifle on St. Maarten.

Based on this information, KPSM immediately initiated an investigation. Early Saturday morning, January 31, 2026, officers conducted an operation at a residence in the South Reward area. During the operation, officers encountered and seized a high-powered rifle along with ammunition.

The suspect, identified by the initials J.R.G.M., was arrested on suspicion of illegal firearm possession and transported to the police station, where he remains in custody for further investigation. The firearm and ammunition were confiscated as part of the ongoing investigation.

KPSM emphasizes that illegal firearms pose an immediate threat to public safety. The presence of high-powered weapons significantly increases the risk of violent crime and endangers residents and officers. KPSM remains committed to removing illegal firearms from the streets and will continue working closely with international and regional partners to prevent such weapons from entering St. Maarten.

Caribbean context: what recent reporting and assessments indicate

Caribbean authorities and partner agencies increasingly describe firearms trafficking as part of linked criminal markets, where the same networks and routes used for narcotics are also used to move weapons, ammunition, magazines, and parts. Trafficking methods commonly involve concealment in maritime cargo and small-vessel movements. Recent reporting has also highlighted the role of conversion devices and large-capacity magazines as “force multipliers” that increase the lethality of firearms, even when rifles remain a smaller share of total seizures.

Multiple official reviews and trace-data discussions also continue to identify the United States as a key source country for many traceable firearms recovered in Caribbean crimes, including patterns tied to points of origin in the southeastern United States.

A December 2025 joint report led by the Caribbean Public Health Agency, with partners including the University of the West Indies and the Small Arms Survey, treats firearm trafficking and gun violence as a public health challenge, not only a policing issue. The report emphasizes prevention, stronger data, and harm-reduction measures alongside enforcement, reflecting the view that long-term results require reducing both supply and the conditions that fuel demand.

Across the Caribbean, governments have also been investing in tighter port screening, improved customs capacity, and stronger interdiction, with some major seizures publicly tied to better detection and international cooperation, including in Jamaica. At the same time, Caribbean states and partners are working more closely with U.S. agencies on tracing and investigations to map sources and trafficking routes, rather than only intercepting weapons after they arrive, while region-wide operations continue to target organized networks that traffic both drugs and firearms.

Progress remains difficult because resources at ports are limited, data systems are often fragmented, and transnational networks adapt quickly, and the U.S. Government Accountability Office has noted that even with multiple initiatives underway, measuring and tracking outcomes across these efforts is a continuing challenge.

How St. Maarten and the region have been responding

St. Maarten’s enforcement actions are taking place while governments across the Caribbean strengthen a combined approach that pairs frontline policing with prevention, intelligence sharing, and more coordinated regional action.

In St. Maarten, the Prosecutor’s Office has publicly described firearm violence as persistent enough to justify enhanced controls, and has noted that police have seized over 70 illegal firearms since early 2024. St. Maarten has also used targeted operations to remove firearms from circulation and has previously implemented a firearm amnesty to encourage the surrender of illegal weapons and ammunition.

Across the wider Caribbean, governments and security partners have been prioritizing coordinated action in five broad areas:

1. Regional coordination and intelligence-led enforcement, including shared frameworks and joint priorities aimed at disrupting supply chains.
2. A combined public safety and public health approach, pairing enforcement with prevention, data improvement, and harm reduction.
3. Upgraded ports, scanning, and interdiction, focused on stopping weapons before they enter communities.
4. Expanded tracing and investigative cooperation, to identify sources and networks rather than only seizing individual shipments.
5. Joint operations against organized crime networks, recognizing that guns, ammunition, and drugs often move through overlapping routes.

Authorities and researchers continue to caution that limited resources at ports, fragmented data systems, and the scale of transnational networks make sustained disruption difficult, reinforcing the need for long-term coordination, modern interdiction tools, and consistent intelligence sharing.

Public assistance requested

KPSM urges the public to remain vigilant and report information related to illegal firearms, suspicious activity, or criminal behavior. Information can be shared anonymously via the Police Tip Line at 9300.

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