119th (2025–2027)
H.R. 2826
The Caribbean Anti-Smuggling of Trafficked Arms Act (CAST Act) requires the Secretary of Defense to study whether the U.S. military's Joint Interagency Taskforce South—currently focused on drug trafficking in the Caribbean—should expand its mission to combat illegal gun smuggling from the United States to the region. Within 180 days of enactment, the Defense Department must submit a report to Congress in coordination with the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and other relevant agencies that assesses the feasibility of this expansion, identifies any necessary changes to international agreements, calculates the costs and resources needed, evaluates impacts on military personnel, and outlines coordination requirements with other law enforcement agencies. The bill does not appropriate specific funding amounts but instead directs an analysis to inform future policy decisions about addressing illegal firearms trafficking in the Caribbean.