In the largest coordinated firearms operation ever led by INTERPOL via the EU funded GIFP project DISRUPT, Central and South American authorities made 14,260 arrests and seized over 8,263 illegal firearms, as well as 305,000 rounds of ammunition. Operation Trigger IX took place from 12 March to 2 April 2023, aimed at targeting key trafficking routes and organised crime groups in the region. The operation also lead to the seizure of 203 tons of cocaine and other drugs, worth a combined total of $5.7 billion, and 372 tons of drug precursors. Furthermore, the operation saw an unprecedented level of cooperation across 15 countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay), and the involvement of more than 100 national law enforcement agencies, identifying a range of other crimes such as drugs trafficking, corruption, fraud, human trafficking, environmental crime, and terrorist activities.
The TRIGGER IX operational hub was based in Foz do Iguaçu, at the tri-border area of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Firearms experts from participating countries gathered to support frontline actions and ensure the swift exchange and cross-checking of intelligence. On the ground, coordinated actions led to the disruption of 20 organized criminal groups, including the arrest of members of Primeiro Comando da Capital, Mara Salvatrucha, and the Balkans Cartel.
INTERPOL’s global tools, including the Illicit Arms Records and Tracing Management System (iARMS) and the INTERPOL Ballistic Information Network (IBIN), were leveraged to provide law enforcement officials with the necessary resources to identify links between crimes worldwide. As a result of Trigger IX, 30 investigations were opened, and authorities identified 15 new modus operandi for the illicit manufacturing, trafficking, and concealment of firearms.
