U.S. Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is co-sponsoring a new bill aimed at stopping the flow of illegal firearms to Haiti, a nation grappling with a dire gang crisis. The legislation seeks to expand the Department of Defense’s mission via the Joint Interagency Task Force South to include combating illicit arms trafficking, spotlighting the alarming statistic that nearly 75% of recovered firearms in the Caribbean are traced back to the United States.
The increase in gun violence has driven displacement for over 60,000 people in just one month, as gangs control approximately 85% of Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Cherfilus-McCormick emphasizes that curbing weapons trafficking is crucial for both national and regional security, asserting, “All potential options must be on the table to effectively curtail the flow of arms.”
Read full story at www.wlrn.org
