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1 1 (July 24, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdbbh0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Updated July 24,2020 The United States developed the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), a regional U.S. foreign as sis tance program, in 2009 through a process of dialogue with Caribbean countries. The initiative seeks to reduce illicit trafficking in the region, advancepublic safety and security, and promote socialjustice. Because of their geographic location, many Caribbeannations are vulnerable to being used as transit countries for illicit drugs fromSouth America destined for the U.S. and European markets. Strengthened U.S. countemarcotics cooperation with Mexico and Central America-through the M6rida Initiative and the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI)-led U.S. policymakers to anticipate a potential increase in narcotics trafficking through the Caribbean. Many Caribbean countries have also suffered high rates of violent crime, including murder, often associatedwith drug trafficking activities. President Obama announced the initiative at the fifth Summit of the Americas in April2009. U.S. and Caribbean representatives followed up with several meetings and in 2010 held an inaugural Caribbean-U.S. Security Cooperation Dialogue, which approved a declaration of principles, a framework for engagement, and a broad action plan. Seven additional Caribbean-U.S. security cooperation dialogues have been held, with the mo s trecent in May 2019 in Washington, DC. In June 2017, the State Departnentreleased a U.S. strategy for engagementin the Caribbean (required by P.L. 114-291, the United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act of 2016). Among the priorities for engagement is security, with the objectives of strengthening lmutualnational security and advancing citizens' safety through programs to dis mantle criminal and terrorist organizations, curb the trafficking of illicit goods andpeople, strengthen therule of law, and counter vulnerability to terrorist threats-all efforts central to the CBSI. Congress has supported funding for the CBSI. From FY2010 throughFY2020, Congress appropriated almost $677 million for the CBSI benefiting 13 Caribbean countries-Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago (seeTable 1 and Figure 1). For each of FY2018 and FY2019, the Trump Administration requested $36.2 million, about a 37% decrease fromFY2017, but Congress rejected those cuts, appropriating $57.7million in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141; H.R 1625, Explanatory Statenent, Division K), and $58 million for the CBSI in the Cons olidated Appropriations Act, 2019 (P.L. 116-6, H.J.Res. 31, conferencereport H.Rept. 116-9). For FY2020, the Administration requested $40.2 million for the CBSI, about a 30% drop fromthat appropriated in FY2019. Ultimately, Congress appropriated not less than $60 million for the CBSI for FY2020 in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-94, H.R. 1865, Explanatory Statement, Division G). For FY2021, the Administration requested $32 million for the CBSI, a cut ofalnost 47% from that appropriated in FY2020. The House Appropriations Committee-reported bill, H.R. 7608 (H.Rept. 116-444), would provide a minimum of $74.8 million, including $10million to strengthen resilience to emergencies and disasters. Coordinatedby the State Department's BureauofWestern Hemisphere affairs and implemented largely by the State Department, USAID, and the Departmrent ofDefense, the CBSI has targetedU.S. assistance in five areas: * Maritime and Aerial Security Cooperation, including assistanceto strengthen Caribbean maritime and aerialoperations capability, improve radar coverage, and sustain those capabilities; * Law Enforcement Capacity Building, including assistance to improve law enforcement though police profes sionalization, anti-corruption training, and conmrunity-based policing; * Border/Port S ecurity and Firearms Interdiction, including support to improve capacity to intercept smuggled narcotics, weapons, bulkcash, and other contraband at airports and seaports; * Justice Sector Reform, including support to increase the efficacy of prosecutors and criminal courts and reformand strengthenjuvenile justice systems;and * Crime Prevention and At-Risk Youth, including assistance to populations vulnerable to being victims of crime or at risk of recruitment into criminal organizations. Although the State Department has not published CBSI funding statistics by country, a February 2019 U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report shows that fromFY2010 through FY2018, the Dominican Republic received almost23% of CBSI funding, Jamaica just over 19%, 24% went to seven EasternCaribbean countries, and2l% was forregion-wide activities. The GAO report also recommended that (1) the State Department, along with USAID and other stakeholders, should create an initiative-wide planning and reporting mechanisimfor the CBSI that includes the ability to monitor, evaluate and report the results; and (2) the State Department's Bureau o fInternational Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs should develop and implement a data A A '2

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