H.R. 2826: Caribbean Anti-Smuggling of Trafficked Arms Act

This bill, known as the Caribbean Anti-Smuggling of Trafficked Arms Act or CAST Act, aims to evaluate and possibly expand the mission of the Joint Interagency Taskforce South. The focus of this task force is to combat illegal firearms trafficking from the United States to the Caribbean region.

Key Provisions

The main components of the bill include:

• Report Requirement: The Secretary of Defense, in cooperation with other relevant officials from the State Department and Homeland Security, must submit a report within 180 days of the bill's enactment.
• Feasibility Assessment: The report should provide a description and assessment of expanding the task force's mission to specifically address illicit arms trafficking in the Caribbean.
• Adjustments to Agreements: It must include a summary of any changes needed to existing treaties or agreements that would allow this expanded mission to take place.
• Cost Analysis: The report should detail the additional resources and costs required for the proposed mission expansion.
• Force Depletion Report: An analysis of the potential impacts on existing forces, including any depletion issues resulting from the expanded mission, should also be included.
• Coordination Efforts: Finally, it will assess the necessary coordination between the task force and various law enforcement agencies across different levels to implement this enhanced mission effectively.

Congressional Committees Involved

The bill specifies that the report will be directed to several congressional committees:

• House of Representatives: Committee on Foreign Affairs, Committee on Armed Services, and Committee on Homeland Security.
• Senate: Committee on Foreign Relations, Committee on Armed Services, and Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Objectives

The overall objective of this legislation is to provide U.S. authorities with better tools and strategies to combat the illegal trafficking of firearms, with the hope of reducing violence and crime in Caribbean nations linked to these weapons.

Relevant Companies

None found