A coordinated law enforcement operation carried out across four major Latin American countries in autumn 2025 resulted in the seizure of 2,388 illicit firearms and 26,828 rounds of ammunition.
Operation PUMA – a focused, simultaneous effort by security forces from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico – targeted criminal networks trafficking weapons across the continent and beyond.
The operation was conducted under the Quadrilateral Initiative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a strategic alliance bringing together Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to share knowledge and intelligence and to coordinate cross-border action.
“Unfortunately, Latin America is a very violent region,” said Luís Flávio Zampronha of Brazil’s Federal Police. “Today, it has the worst indexes of violence in the world. Much of this violence is caused by the free movement of illegal weapons in Brazil and neighbouring countries.”
The problem of firearms trafficking in the region has reached alarming levels.
Half of all homicides in the Americas are linked to organized crime and gangs, and nearly 70 per cent of these killings involve firearms, according to UNODC research.
This far exceeds the global average, where only around 20 per cent of homicides are related to organized crime, and 40 per cent are committed with firearms.
Mexico faces one of the most severe homicide crises in the region, with a rate of approximately 28.2 killings per 100,000 people as of 2021.
Colombia reported over 8,500 gun-related intentional killings in 2022, with a homicide rate of 25.7 (in 2021). Brazil and Argentina recorded rates of 21.3 and 4.6 respectively (2021).
Between 15 September and 15 October 2025, police forces from the four countries of the Quadrilateral Initiative carried out Operation PUMA, focusing on strategic “hotspots” to intercept weapons used by cartels and gangs.
Through this operation, and its subsequent analysis, UNODC helped participating states to map the geography of armed criminality and identify not only where illicit weapons are found, but also the points at which firearms are diverted from legal markets into the hands of criminals.
In addition to firearm and ammunition seizures, the operation led to 182 arrests in Brazil, 65 preliminary investigations in Argentina, as well as detentions and investigations in Colombia and Mexico.
Operation PUMA exposed a worrying shift by criminal organizations towards increasingly sophisticated and deceptive firearms trafficking methods.
“The operation has allowed us to address phenomena that we were not seeing before, or that we were not seeing in their true dimension,” said a representative from Argentina’s Federal Firearms Prosecutorial Unit (UFIARM).
She was one of the participants at the meeting organized by UNODC in Mexico City in November 2025, which reviewed the results of the operation.
“For example, we found how legitimate, properly registered arms users, such as gun shops, divert weapons.”
She explained that through such schemes, seemingly law-abiding individuals or firms legally purchase weapons only to sell them immediately to the illicit market.
A Brazilian Federal Police official highlighted the profound connection between the weapon trade and the cartels that terrorize urban centres: "It is common for drug trafficking and arms trafficking to go hand in hand.”
“We discovered that 70 per cent of weapon seizures were directly linked to drug trafficking and violent crimes in general, such as robberies and homicides.”
A Colombian expert described increasingly creative tactics used by international traffickers.
"We have seen cases where criminals use terminally ill or highly vulnerable people as the official recipients of weapons to avoid drawing the attention of the authorities.”
By using these individuals as "decoys," the real criminal organizations remain hidden from law enforcement.
The Colombian representative also shared a case in which investigators caught a pilot from an American airline with dual Colombian-American nationality who was using his airport access to bypass security. He was arrested while smuggling a suitcase filled with rifles, pistols and revolvers.
Mexico’s contribution to the operation was equally vital.
"Operation PUMA has had very positive results, with 539 firearms seized in three states that we consider priorities in our national security strategy,” said a Mexican official.
These states are notorious for being the core of major cartels.
During the operation, security forces also targeted high-profile criminals, leading to the detention of a priority target in Sinaloa, a western state of the country.
The suspect was identified as a member of the “Los Chapitos” faction of the Sinaloa Cartel and was sought for firearms trafficking and manufacturing. He is linked to a criminal case involving 12 other high-level targets.
Officials meeting in Mexico City praised Operation PUMA for its impact and cooperation.
"The results have been extremely positive from an institutional standpoint," stated the Argentinian representative.
Mexico’s participant also highlighted the value of this international teamwork.
“PUMA has allowed us to identify not only trafficking routes, but also the specific conditions that enable the criminal schemes, which is crucial to dismantling them.”
Beyond the immediate seizures, arrests and investigations, the operation strengthened regional intelligence on arms trafficking routes across the region, which is expected to lead to further legal actions in the future.
The Quadrilateral Initiative is helping to strengthen cooperation and joint efforts between Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico. It is also creating a ripple effect, encouraging neighboring countries to get involved, with the goal of gradually expanding the Initiative’s reach across the region.
