(Washington)
On August 26, 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) released new 2025 firearms trace data reports for Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean. The reports make clear that firearms originating in the United States continue to fuel gun violence and instability across the Western Hemisphere. This data underscores the need for GAGV’s core mission: to stop gun trafficking in and from the U.S. The United States must do more to stop illegal gun trafficking at its source by strengthening oversight of gun dealers, identifying suspicious purchasing patterns, and preventing firearms from flowing from U.S. markets into neighboring countries. Communities across the region are paying the price, as trafficked guns empower criminal networks, intensify violence, strain law enforcement, and endanger lives far beyond U.S. borders.
Jonathan Lowy, founder and president of Global Action on Gun Violence (GAGV) asserts, “This data again confirms that overwhelming majorities of crime guns in Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean flow directly from U.S. gun shops. GAGV is committed to stopping this crime gun pipeline at the most effective point — the gun industry source.”
Key 2025 Highlights
- Mexico: 22,817 U.S.-origin firearms—71% of 32,144 traced firearms in 2025.
- Canada: 6,503 U.S.-origin firearms—76.1% of 8,505 traced firearms in 2025.
- Bahamas: 99.1% of 221 traced firearms originated in the United States.
- Jamaica: 90.3% of 946 traced firearms originated in the United States.
- Dominica: 92.1% of traced firearms originated in the United States.
- Saint Lucia: 73% of traced firearms originated in the United States.
- Trinidad and Tobago: 73.1% of traced firearms originated in the United States.
- Dominican Republic: 53.6% of 695 traced firearms originated in the United States; another 10.8% were of undetermined origin.
Detailed 2025 Regional Data
In Mexico, 22,817 firearms, representing 71% of the 32,144 traced firearms, were determined to have originated in the U.S., with ATF unable to determine the source country for another 15.5%. This represents a marked increase from 2024, when a still-staggering 18,718 firearms were traced to the U.S. out of a total of 26,759.
In Canada, 6,503 firearms, representing 76.1% of the 8,505 traced firearms, were determined to have originated in the U.S., with ATF unable to determine the source country for another 2.7%. This represented a slight decrease from 2024, when 82.7% of the 6,788 firearms were traced to the U.S.
In the Caribbean, the percent of guns traced to the U.S. in many countries is even more staggering. In the Bahamas, 99.1% of the 221 firearms originated in the U.S. In Jamaica, the U.S. was responsible for 90.3% of the 946 traced firearms. In Dominica, the U.S. was responsible for 92.1% of traced firearms. Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago were at 73% and 73.1%, respectively. In this region, the Dominican Republic had the lowest percentage, and still 53.6% of 695 firearms originated in the U.S., with another 10.8% of undetermined origin.
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Global Action on Gun Violence is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending gun violence in the U.S. and throughout the world, using litigation, human rights, advocacy and messaging. GAGV work includes representing the Government of Mexico in anti-gun trafficking litigation, acting as foreign legal counsel in a Canadian gun lawsuit, and activity in the United Nations, Organization of American States and other international bodies. GAGV’s President, Jon Lowy, has litigated Second Amendment and other gun cases for over 25 years. More information is found at actiononguns.org.