Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causing Harm Act” or the “CATCH Act”.
Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causing Harm Act
A BILL
To provide for an annual report on the prosecution activities of the Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions of the Department of Justice.
Sec. 2 Findings
The Congress finds as follows:
According to a 2023 joint report by the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and the Small Arms Survey, the average number of violent deaths in the Caribbean is nearly triple the global average.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in 2021, Caribbean countries accounted for six of the world’s top ten highest national murder rates.
Law enforcement officials in Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, and Jamaica have identified Florida as a significant source of illicit firearms.
According to the United Nations, Caribbean countries do not manufacture firearms or ammunition, nor do they import them on a large scale.
According to Bahamian officials, over 90 percent of firearms used in homicides and confiscated by authorities in the Bahamas are traced to manufacturers and retailers in the United States.
In 2022, the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations reported observing a significant increase in the quantity, caliber, and type of firearms being illegally trafficked to the Caribbean, including .50 caliber sniper rifles, .308 rifles, and a belt fed machine gun.
According to a 2023 assessment by UNODC, the flow of illicit firearms into Haiti enables violent gangs and contributes to forced displacement across the country.
According to the Migration Policy Institute, there has been a dramatic increase in migration to the United States from Haiti in recent years, caused in part by widespread gang violence.
On June 25, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into law, which created Federal criminal offenses for firearm trafficking and granted the government new authorities to prosecute these offenses.
On November 14, 2022, the IMPACS launched the Crime Gun Intelligence Unit in partnership with United States law enforcement agencies.
Located in Trinidad and Tobago, the Crime Gun Intelligence Unit provides intelligence for its member states on illicit firearms and ammunition.
On June 8, 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris announced that “the Department of Justice will name a Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions who will be an experienced Department of Justice prosecutor”.
On July 5, 2023, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that Michael Ben’Ary will serve as the Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions.
As of October 31, 2023, the Department of Justice has prosecuted 207 defendants for firearms trafficking, including 80 defendants for making straw purchases, using authorities derived from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Sec. 3 Purposes
The purposes of this Act include the following:
To combat illicit firearms trafficking from the United States to the Caribbean.
To bolster the security of the Caribbean region and the United States.
To increase oversight of the Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions inside the Department of Justice.
Sec. 4 Report on the prosecutions activities of the Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions of the Department of Justice
Definition— In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives;
the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives;
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives;
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate; and
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.
Requirement— Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and each year thereafter for 5 years, the Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of State, and any other agency determined necessary by the Attorney General, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that includes, for the previous year—
a comprehensive review of the enforcement of sections 932 and 933 of title 18, United States Code, by the Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions of the Department of Justice; and
specifies—
the total number of investigations and prosecutions launched by the Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions, disaggregated by—
the judicial district involved;
the alleged destination of the firearm, ammunition, and firearm accessories, as applicable;
the number and types of firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories, to the extent the information is available; and
the method of transportation of the firearm, ammunition, and firearm accessories, to the extent the information is available;
coordination efforts of the Department of Justice with the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and any other Federal, State, or local law enforcement agencies; and
coordination efforts of the Department of Justice with the Caribbean Crime Gun Intelligence Unit of the Carribean Community (commonly referred to as “CARICOM”), and any other regional or international organizations determined necessary by the Secretary of State.