Behind Haiti violence, smuggled guns from the U.S.

WASHINGTON — Weeks before the latest violence broke out in Haiti, the self-described "king" of a Haitian gang was in a US court pleading guilty to smuggling AK47s and a .50 caliber rifle to the Caribbean nation.

"The Justice Department will aggressively pursue every tool at its disposal to hold accountable those who would smuggle U.S.-origin weapons and other controlled goods for the benefit of malicious actors," prosecutors said at the time.