WASHINGTON, D.C., June 13, 2023 – His Excellency Wendall Jones, The Bahamas Ambassador to The United States, and current Chairman of the CARICOM Caucus of Ambassadors in Washington, D.C., led a Subcommittee to Capitol Hill to discuss gun trafficking in the Caribbean.
During the meeting with Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), the Ambassadors called for the United States to join the Caribbean in the “War on Guns” and to urgently adopt and take action to stop the illegal exportation of firearms and ammunition into the Caribbean.
Ambassador Jones emphasized that crime and violence are public health issues in the region, noting that governments are now using a disproportionate share of their national budgets to address crime, violence and national security. He said hospitals are under pressure, as surgeons, other physicians and health professionals attend to thousands who are maimed as a result of illegal guns.
Ambassador Jones told the Congressman that those involved in the trafficking of weapons contribute significantly to violence in the region, causing death, disabilities and compromising the safety of the region’s citizens.
