(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The Illinois Attorney General joins in asking for legislation at the federal level that would target gun trafficking to Caribbean nations.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is joining a coalition of 12 attorneys general, issuing a letter to Congress asking for the passage of the Caribbean Arms Trafficking Causes Harm Act or CATCH. Those attorneys general include those from California, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
This piece of proposed legislation, if passed, would attempt to slow down gun trafficking from the US to the Caribbean, providing more resources at ports for inspections and additional funding for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Raoul, the son of Haitian immigrants, says in part through a statement issued to WBBM Newsradio that stopping guns headed into Caribbean countries such as Jamaica and Haiti would help provide better stability in these countries.
"Without action, firearms will continue to be imported illegally, increasing instability and further jeopardizing the safety of millions who call the Caribbean home. I will continue to work to address gun violence in all its forms and advocate for laws that address firearm trafficking wherever it occurs," Raoul said in a written statement.
Jamaica has the highest murder rate per capita of any country with reliable reporting data. Haiti is now overrun with violent gangs.
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