Liege, Belgium – January 30, 2026 – A debate is brewing over whether a Belgian arms manufacturer supplied weapons to U.S. immigration authorities. FN Herstal is facing scrutiny after reports surfaced alleging sales to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
FN Herstal Denies Direct Firearms Sales to ICE
The company insists it hasn’t sold firearms to ICE in the last 15 years, but acknowledges supplying certain components.
- FN Herstal says it hasn’t sold firearms, specifically FN 303 launchers, to ICE in the past 15 years.
- The company confirms contracts with ICE exist, but only for non-lethal 303 projectiles – paint and inert rounds.
- Reports indicate FN America,a subsidiary,has sold “reduced lethality” FN 303 rifles to ICE and CBP since at least 2009.
- A million-dollar contract between FN America and CBP was signed last September.
FN Herstal vehemently denies selling firearms to ICE, the American immigration police. The company stated on Saturday that it has not provided ICE with FN 303 launchers, often described as “reduced lethality” weapons, over the last 15 years, responding to a report published by Le Soir. However, FN Herstal admits to existing contracts with ICE, limited to the supply of 303 projectiles, available in paint and inert forms.
Le Soir’s investigation, published Saturday, alleges that FN America, the company’s fully-owned American subsidiary, has been selling weapons to both ICE and CBP. An analysis of the American public procurement register revealed that FN America has supplied FN 303s to these agencies, which fall under the Department of Homeland Security, since 2009.
Million-Dollar Contract with Border Protection
Last September, FN America, wholly owned by Wallonia, secured a million-dollar contract with CBP, according to Le Soir’s reporting.
Also read
Le Soir’s analysis of the American public procurement registry indicates that FN America has been selling FN 303 “reduced lethality” rifles to these federal agencies since at least 2009. Approximately twenty contracts were identified, totaling over ten million dollars in value.
Despite the reports, FN Herstal firmly maintains it has not sold firearms to ICE. The company reiterated it has not supplied FN 303 launchers to the immigration police in the last 15 years, emphasizing that its contracts with ICE are limited to 303 projectiles, either painted or inert.
Tho, the company did acknowledge signing a contract last year with two agencies under the Department of Homeland Security: the border police and the secret services.
Related reading
