PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The United States has reiterated its support for Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries in their fight against the high rates of crime and violence that are being fueled by illicit firearms trafficking.
A statement issued by the Trinidad-based CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS) on Friday said that the issues were among the topics discussed Thursday during a hybrid meeting attended by US partners and CARICOM Commissioners of Police.
It said that the meeting explored ways in which it has been and could further improve collaboration with the CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CGIU) to stem the wave of firearms-related crimes pervading the Caribbean region’s national and regional borders and successfully prosecute all those involved in the illicit firearms trade.
Trinidad and Tobago’s National Security Minister, Fitzgerald Hinds, spoke of the high incidents of gun-related crimes across the region.
He said that the Caribbean’s transshipment utility, about the routes exploited between some territories and the European Union (EU), and more closely, the US, was proving to be very valuable for the business of illegal arms and ammunition trafficking.
He commended the CGIU for assisting CARICOM member states in the investigation of the perpetrators and co-conspirators of US-sourced weapons being illegally trafficked into the region.
“Given our shared concerns and our common goal for a safer and more secure hemisphere, I look forward to the updates on the good work that has begun and relevant perspectives on what can be done to strengthen and enhance the CGIU,” he said.
United States Assistant Secretary, US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Ambassador Todd D. Robinson, in echoing Hinds’ sentiments, said Washington and Caribbean partners share a common goal of addressing the high rates of crime and violence that are fueled by illicit firearms trafficking.
He said the US is prioritizing investigations and prosecutions of firearms traffickers, who actively endanger communities in both the US and the Caribbean, adding that “the INL intends to continue to support the CGIU, which has had a great impact on real-time information sharing.”
The US Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago, Candace Bond, said illicit firearms trafficking remains a critical threat to the peace and stability of the Caribbean because it fuels violence and empowers criminal organizations, which undermines collective efforts to promote safety and security for all.
To support the CGIU and its work in countering firearms and narcotics trafficking, Ambassador Bond announced that the US was donating a 75-inch interactive smartboard, 14 Samsung 27-inch monitors, and a four-year-old Belgian Malinois sniffer dog trained to detect narcotics, firearms, and ammunition.
“The US recognizes and supports the efforts of the CGIU, which is a practical tool in our shared battle against gun-related crimes and is also a model of regional cooperation,” she said.
The Associate Deputy Attorney General of the US Department of Justice (DoJ) and US Coordinator for Caribbean Firearms Prosecutions, Michael P. Ben’Ary, told the meeting that the DoJ looked forward to strengthening its collaboration with Caribbean law enforcement partners, especially the CGIU.
“Partnerships and putting firearms tracing results to full use, in my estimation, are the key to detecting, disrupting, and dismantling the firearms traffickers responsible for so much violence and criminal behavior affecting our nation of the US and also our partner nations here in the Caribbean region,” he said.
The CARICOM IMPACS Executive Director, Lt. Col. Michael Jones, in giving an insight into the genesis of the CGIU, said it was established in partnership with United States’ INL as an innovative resource for the region, to merge and fuse firearms data and information and provide actionable intelligence and insights to improve investigations and increase successful prosecutions.
“Less than a year since its establishment, we have already seen the benefits of the unit stationed at CARICOM IMPACS’ headquarters. To date, the CGIU has received information and intelligence on firearms seizures and recoveries from 15 CARICOM Member States and has launched at least 34 investigations.”
Jones said the CGIU’s collaborative effort, which is staffed by seconded and vetted officers from CARICOM member states, has been working alongside several US agencies, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS).
During the meeting, the CGIU representatives presented their achievements, efforts in Operation Hammerhead, and other regional investigations and prosecutions.
The statement said that representatives from the BIS and ATF, together with CARICOM Commissioners of Police representatives from Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, also attended the meeting virtually.
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