In the run up to Operation Armstrong, a crucial preparatory workshop was held in Ciudad de Panama, Panama, from November 20th to 21st, 2023. The activity allowed participants to finalize national operational plans, coordinate an Action Day, improved risk indicators for police and customs cooperation, and establish communication and reporting mechanisms. The workshop included participants from Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and Peru.
Operation Armstrong has yielded significant advancements, fortifying the abilities of participating nations to detect and prevent illicit firearms trafficking. The collaborative effort successfully promoted information sharing, refined data communication methods crucial for firearms detection, and facilitated the development of operational plans tailored to identified risk profiles.
Through its preparatory workshop and comprehensive training course, Operation Armstrong has substantially strengthened the capabilities of border control, law enforcement, and criminal justice institutions. It stands as a pivotal initiative in the collective effort to combat transnational organized crime linked to firearms trafficking, fostering collaboration and communication channels among participating nations.
These activities are part of Strategic Goal 3 of the EU Multi-Annual Strategic Plan (MASP). Operation Armstrong has been launched in collaboration with Austria, Spain, and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as co-drivers. The initiative is designed to coordinate controls and operations targeting the online and offline trade in illicit goods and services, with a specific focus on firearms trafficking.
Operation Armstrong, a critical component of EMPACT FIREARMS and Operational Action OA 3.2, aims to strengthen the national capacities of participating countries to detect and interdict illicit firearms, their parts, components, and ammunition. The operation is a manifestation of the broader objective focused on disrupting criminal networks, individual entrepreneurs, high-impact vendors, facilitators, and other actors involved in the illicit trade.
Operation Armstrong, carried out under the auspices of Project DISRUPT, focused on empowering participating countries to combat the trafficking of illicit firearms, components, and ammunition. The initiative aimed to foster collaboration, facilitate information exchange, and optimize data communication methods for more effective detection.
Financial support from the EU Global Illicit Flow Programme (GIFP) has enabled the UNODC to execute a comprehensive project across the Latin American region, known as Project DISRUPT. This project aims to empower Latin American states in their fight against the illicit manufacturing and trafficking of firearms and ammunition.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Firearms Trafficking Section, working closely with EMPACT Firearms and a consortium of international partners, is spearheading the initiative's planning and coordination efforts in Latin America.
