The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has recently published a report suggesting most illegal firearms recovered from the Caribbean were initially purchased in the United States, a study Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) highlighted in a statement urging more vigorous action against black market arms trafficking.
Specifically, GAO's report noted that 73% of weapons recovered from 25 Caribbean countries between 2018 and 2022 were bought in the United States, primarily from Florida, Texas, and Georgia.
Additionally, 88% of those confiscated guns were handguns, while the number of long guns recovered in the 2018-2022 study period has tripled from 5 to 15%.
"As this nonpartisan report highlights, nearly three-quarters of firearms recovered in the Caribbean can be traced back to the United States, underscoring the urgent need for stronger action to combat arms trafficking. We must strengthen screening and enforcement at our ports and hold bad actors accountable for smuggling firearms into the region," said Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick in her press release.
Moreover, the Florida Congresswoman emphasized the role that her Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causes Harm (CATCH) Act, introduced in March, would provide in curbing the prevalence of American-purchased guns on the black market.
The CATCH Act would require the Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions to engage in more stringent tracking of exported weapons, accessories, and ammunition.
"That's why I introduced the Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causing Harm (CATCH) Act — to build on the progress we made with the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act by specifically targeting illegal gun exports to the Caribbean. Together, these efforts will help curb the flow of deadly weapons, reduce violence, and enhance security for our neighbors and ourselves," Cherfilus-McCormick added in her recent statement.
In December, the Florida Congresswoman introduced a similar bill named the Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act, which would transfer gun exportation back to the State Department to ensure future international sales are subject to more stringent oversight, require the State Department to mobilize resources toward disrupting the illegal trafficking of guns and the creation of a certification system for international buyers, Congressional oversight of small arms sales, and a yearly report from the State Department on strategies to counteract arms trafficking.
