Latin America Arms Transfers and Arms Trafficking Update Share This /

This post was compiled by WOLA Intern Lesley Wellener.

• In Honduras, a U.S.-supported police program destroyed 7,000 firearms and 5,000 pieces of ammunition confiscated from gangs.
• The armed forces of Honduras are renewing much of its equipment and has asked to purchase new items from Israel. These include Israeli radar systems to assist interdiction of aircraft suspected of trafficking drugs. The U.S. government has refused to share radar data with Honduras because of the likelihood that, as permitted by a new law, Honduran authorities might shoot down unarmed civilian aircraft on suspicion of carrying drugs.
• During 2013 and the beginning of 2014, the armed forces of Ecuador seized approximately 4,530 illegal firearms and 457,310 rounds of ammunition that had been trafficked into the country.  Many make their way to Colombia to be purchased by the FARC, which is active on the Ecuador-Colombia border.
• In April, seven Houston, Texas residents were convicted of conspiring to traffic dozens of AK–47 rifles to Mexico.  The group will be tried later this summer and could spend five years in U.S. prison and face a fine of up to US$250,000.
• The United States approved a plan to sell at least 18 Black Hawk helicopters to Mexico. The aircraft are to be purchased with Mexican funds, unlike the helicopters that the United States granted to the Mexican police and navy in 2008–2010 under the Mérida Initiative aid package. Mexico has also been approved to buy 3,335 Humvees for as much as US$556 million.
• The Navy of Peru acquired a Dutch fleet logistics ship, the Amsterdam, which will be delivered in December. The ship has been in the service of the Netherlands Navy since 1995. The Peruvian Air Force, meanwhile, has asked the Defense Ministry for six new 3D surveillance radars.
• The armed forces of Venezuela conducted a military exercise in which they tested several rocket launcher systems acquired from Russia. 
• The government of Bolivia approved the purchase of 14 helicopters for the Armed Forces that it says will border control, drug interdiction, and humanitarian missions. Six of the helicopters will go to the Air Force, while the others will be given to the National Police.
• The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency recently cleared Brazil for the sale of US$110 million worth of modernization kits and equipment that will be used to replace old M–108 howitzers. Brazil has also been approved to purchase US$131 million worth of upgrade kits for M113A2MK1 armored personnel carriers.
• The Defense Ministry of Paraguay recently approved the purchase of Super Tucano attack aircraft from Brazil.
• Drone usage has been on the rise in Latin America, reports InsightCrime.org, with many countries purchasing drones for surveillance use.  Brazil currently has the highest number of drones, but Mexico’s drone market is the largest.  Chile, Colombia, Argentina, and Peru, among others, all own drones and are working on developing their own technology. Israel is the largest supplier of drones in the region, providing over $500 million in unmanned aircraft between 2005 and 2012.