Guns in Puerto Rico: Locked and Loaded in the Tropics

At 91 percent, Puerto Rico has the world’s highest overall percentage of homicides by firearms. But this statistic hasn’t stopped the NRA from setting up shop, establishing their 51st chapter in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico’s sky-high murder rates and extremely strict gun laws have only encouraged the association to fight for their constitutional rights, and arm the island with more and more guns. In 2014 alone, gun permit applications doubled, possession of guns tripled, and licenses for shooting ranges quadrupled the previous year's numbers.

VICE News traveled to Puerto Rico to look at the rising tide of firearms that are changing the commonwealth and the culture. We met up with street thugs, the Puerto Rican SWAT team, pro-gun advocates, a gun control politician, and a women’s gun group, to find out how the NRA’s 51st and newest testing ground is working out.

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