{"id":197554,"date":"2024-03-25T21:44:10","date_gmt":"2024-03-26T01:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=197554"},"modified":"2024-03-25T21:44:10","modified_gmt":"2024-03-26T01:44:10","slug":"bill-aims-to-curb-u-s-firearms-trafficking-to-the-caribbean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/bill-aims-to-curb-u-s-firearms-trafficking-to-the-caribbean\/","title":{"rendered":"Bill Aims to Curb U.S. Firearms Trafficking to the Caribbean"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, along with Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Senator Chris Murphy (CT), and Senator Tim Kaine (VA), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights & Global Women\u2019s Issues, have introduced the Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causes Harm (CATCH) Act, legislation that would help curb illicit arms trafficking from the United States to the Caribbean.<\/p>

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\u201cTwo years ago, I voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to help the United States tackle the devastating toll of our gun violence crisis. Since the law went into effect, the Department of Justice has successfully prosecuted hundreds of straw purchases and gun trafficking offenses and saved countless lives,\u201d\u202fsaid Congressman Joaquin Castro<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cAs we build on those efforts, the CATCH Act will improve transparency and accountability within U.S. antitrafficking efforts and prevent U.S. firearms from fueling gun violence in the Caribbean \u2014 especially in Haiti, where guns from the United States have played a tragic role in the ongoing security, political, and humanitarian crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWeapons trafficking by way of the United States is a major contributor to Haiti\u2019s growing gang crisis and the current instability that plagues the country,\u201d\u202fsaid Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, Co-Chair of the House Haiti Caucus<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cWe must ensure the Department of Justice is effectively utilizing the new anti-firearm-trafficking provisions in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Our standing in the region and our national security depends on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cI am extremely concerned with the deteriorating security situation in Haiti and high rates of violence elsewhere in the Caribbean. The prevalence of illegal guns trafficked from the United States into the region is fueling this violence. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act made firearms trafficking a federal crime for the first time, and this legislation would ensure the newly established Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions is implementing the law to its fullest extent,\u201d\u00a0said Senator Chris Murphy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIllicit weapons are a major source of instability in the Caribbean and are fueling the horrific scourge of gun and gang violence we\u2019ve seen in Haiti,\u201d\u00a0said Senator Tim Kaine<\/strong>. \u201cThe consolidation of power in Haitian gangs and the use of trafficked firearms to inflict terror in their communities is deeply concerning and an immediate threat to stability in the region. The United States must use all tools at its disposal to crack down on arms trafficking, support international efforts to restore regional stability, and secure our safety at home and abroad.\u201d<\/p>

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The Caribbean has been the center of rising deadly gun violence for years. According to\u00a0public reporting<\/a>, homicide rates in the Caribbean in 2022 far exceeded U.S. and global averages, and about 90% of Caribbean murder weapons can be traced back to the United States. The CATCH Act will address the U.S. role in gun trafficking to the Caribbean by requiring the Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions to report on the implementation of anti-firearm-trafficking provisions in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which include:<\/p>\n

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