Plan for online gun sales in the US could strengthen Brazilian crime syndicates

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is evaluating a regulation by the Donald Trump administration that allows firearms purchased online to be delivered to homes. The DHS is looking for ways to prevent this relaxation from benefiting Brazil-based crime syndicates such as Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) and Comando Vermelho (CV) through international arms trafficking. Cutting off the weapons supply chain of these groups, classified as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) by the White House, has been stated as the primary goal.

The 32-point amendment package prepared by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) relaxes the rules introduced during the Biden era. With the new "NOTC" (Non-Over-the-Counter) model, the requirement for buyers to personally pick up their firearms from a licensed store is being lifted. The ATF argues that during this process, digital identity verification, mandatory video interviews, and comprehensive background checks will be implemented, thus enhancing security.

However, experts emphasize that physically going to the store is a fundamental security measure that hinders document fraud and the activities of individuals who "buy guns on behalf of a wanted person and divert them to the black market." The fact that the US government is tightening sanctions against these crime syndicates on one hand, while loosening gun rules on the other, raises serious concerns regarding regional security.