Tracking the guns: International diversion of small arms to illicit markets in Rio de Janeiro

The report analyzes 26,170 foreign-made weapons seized by Rio de Janeiro police, cross-referencing them with international trade data to identify diversion points. It finds that while most seized weapons are Brazilian-made, foreign weapons—particularly from the US and Argentina—often enter Brazil via neighboring countries with lax regulations, such as Paraguay, or leak from official government stockpiles. The authors argue that exporting nations fail to adequately assess diversion risks and recommend stricter export licensing and stockpile controls.

• The majority of small arms seized by police in Rio de Janeiro are manufactured domestically in Brazil, but foreign-made weapons are predominant among restricted-use firearms, such as assault rifles and high-caliber semi-automatic pistols.
• Paraguay serves as a primary diversion point for arms entering Brazil due to lax regulations that historically allowed foreign tourists to purchase weapons with minimal identification.
• A significant volume of US-made handguns seized in Rio de Janeiro likely originated from exports to Paraguay in the mid-1990s, coinciding with a peak in Paraguayan imports and a subsequent rise in Brazilian seizures.
• Military-grade weapons, including Colt 5.56x45mm rifles, appear to have been diverted from official Brazilian government stockpiles, specifically following the 2000 decision to equip Rio de Janeiro police with M-4 carbines.
• Argentine-made weapons seized in Rio de Janeiro consist largely of unregistered, low-quality revolvers from the 1970s and 1980s, as well as 9mm pistols diverted from official Argentine military and law enforcement stockpiles.
• Diversion of military firearms from neighboring countries is a recurring theme, with examples including German G-3 rifles from Paraguay and Belgian FAL rifles from various South American military inventories.
• Chinese-made Norinco 9mm pistols and Kalashnikov variants entered the illicit market in Brazil starting around 1994, likely diverted from legal imports to countries like Chile, Bolivia, and Paraguay.
• The report identifies a systemic failure by exporting governments to adhere to international agreements, such as the UN Programme of Action and the EU Code of Conduct, regarding the assessment of diversion risks.
• A high proportion of seized foreign weapons were never registered with the Rio de Janeiro police, suggesting they were either trafficked from abroad, registered in other Brazilian states, or owned by parties exempt from registration, such as collectors.

APA

Dreyfus, P., & Marsh, N. (2006). Tracking the guns: International diversion of small arms to illicit markets in Rio de Janeiro. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c3856235-d5b9-4b96-9e4b-0169b0ec6a71/Dreyfus and Marsh 2006 Tracking the Guns.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Dreyfus, Pablo, and Nicholas Marsh. Tracking the guns: International diversion of small arms to illicit markets in Rio de Janeiro. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2006. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c3856235-d5b9-4b96-9e4b-0169b0ec6a71/Dreyfus and Marsh 2006 Tracking the Guns.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dreyfus |first1=Pablo |last2=Marsh |first2=Nicholas |title=Tracking the guns: International diversion of small arms to illicit markets in Rio de Janeiro |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=November 2006 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c3856235-d5b9-4b96-9e4b-0169b0ec6a71/Dreyfus and Marsh 2006 Tracking the Guns.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dreyfus2006tracking, author = {Dreyfus, Pablo and Marsh, Nicholas}, title = {{Tracking the guns: International diversion of small arms to illicit markets in Rio de Janeiro}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2006}, month = nov, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c3856235-d5b9-4b96-9e4b-0169b0ec6a71/Dreyfus and Marsh 2006 Tracking the Guns.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }