April 10, 2025
Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick (for herself and Mr. Bell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services
To require a report evaluating an expansion of the mission of the Joint Interagency Taskforce South to provide additional resources to combat the illegal trafficking of firearms from the United States to the Caribbean, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Caribbean Anti-Smuggling of Trafficked Arms Act
or the CAST Act
.
Sec. 2. Report required
(a) In general
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and in coordination with the head of any other Federal department or agency determined necessary by the Secretary of Defense, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that includes—
(1)
a description and assessment of the feasibility of an expansion of the mission of the Joint Interagency Taskforce South to include combatting illicit arms trafficking in the Caribbean region;
(2)
a summary of any required adjustments to existing treaties, status of forces agreements, or memoranda of agreement necessary to carry out such an expansion;
(3)
the cost of such an explanation of the additional resources required for such an expansion;
(4)
a report on force depletion; and
(5)
an assessment of the additional coordination efforts needed between Joint Interagency Taskforce South and any international, regional, Federal, State, or local law enforcement agencies to undertake such expanded mission.
(b) Appropriate congressional committees defined
In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees
means—
(1)
the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives; and
(2)
the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate.