U.S. Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) and Wesley Bell (D-MO) have introduced the Caribbean Anti-Smuggling of Trafficked Arms (CAST) Act, legislation aimed at helping curb the illicit trafficking of firearms from the United States to the Caribbean. The bill would require the Department of Defense (DOD) to report on the potential expansion of the Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-South) mandate to include efforts to combat illicit firearms trafficking, according to a press release issued Thursday, April 10, 2025.

“The trafficking of firearms from the United States contributes significantly to crime in the Caribbean and to the growing gang crisis in Haiti, fueling the ongoing instability that plagues the country,” said Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL). “All potential options must be on the table to effectively reduce the flow of weapons. Our nation’s security depends on it,” she added, according to the release.