Bahamas Prime Minister wants US intervention on American Gun Traffickers

By Shanieka Smith

Features Writer

#TheBahamas, June 6, 2022 – “We have been really anxious about the fact that the US government; well, let me put it this way: the US having tracked most of our guns that we (criminals) use in violent crimes here, to specific shops in the United States and manufacturers, and even being able to identify the persons who even bought those guns – ” these are the words from Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Phillip Davis.

He said he will continue to agitate high-ranking United States officials in Washington on the Caribbean’s behalf because of the increase of guns in The Bahamas. These guns have been traced to American citizens with dual nationality who purchased guns under the guise of the right to bear arms.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force has seized over 170 illegal guns and more than 2,600 rounds of ammunition in The Bahamas. Some had even been modified with extended clips to carry up to 200 rounds of ammunition.

On the sidelines of the 36th Annual General Meeting of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police, Davis expressed that “we are saying to the Americans they need to do more and whereas we don’t want to get involved in the domestic issue about the right to bear arms we are concerned that purchasers of guns are not just buying it to bear, but rather to export and to traffic.”

He called for the US to intervene where there is evidence a person is not just buying it in the exercise of their right to bear it, but instead buying it for trafficking

Davis said he has spoken to several high-ranking US authorities from Washington, which he did not name, but hinted that “it is about as high as the White House.” He added that they have listened to the concerns and promised to look into them.

“This is a concern throughout the region. It’s not just the Bahamas, but when I spoke, I spoke for the region in respect to it, but bringing illustrations as to what’s occurring in our country, to make the point,” said Davis.

He added that his plan is to continue to agitate for them to do something until something is done, as promised.