News Americas, New York, NY, Mon. Nov. 4, 2024: The United States and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) co-hosted a high-level interagency meeting on October 31 to strengthen collaboration against firearms trafficking through the CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit, (CGIU).
Held under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, (CBSI), in Washington, D.C., the U.S. delegation included officials from the National Security Council, Office of the Vice President, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, and Department of Commerce. Representing the Caribbean were leaders from the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, (CARICOM IMPACS) and the CGIU.
Since its inception in 2022, the CGIU has facilitated information sharing between Caribbean and U.S. law enforcement agencies, featuring a team of a manager, investigator, and six intelligence analysts funded by CARICOM. Officers from Barbados, The Bahamas, Guyana, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have been seconded to support the unit. In addition, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, (INL) has allocated $2.2 million over the past two years to support the CGIU, with additional funding from CARICOM.
This meeting reflects a commitment outlined in the Joint Statement from the Eleventh Caribbean-U.S. Security Cooperation Dialogue to enhance support for the CGIU and strengthen the regional and international exchange of crime gun intelligence.
