Congressman Castro, House Foreign Affairs Leaders Urge U.S. Engagement at CARICOM Conference
SAN ANTONIO — Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congresswoman Yvette Clark (NY-09), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caribbean Caucus, and Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (VI-ATL) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the State Department to send a high-level U.S. delegation to the 48th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Bridgetown, Barbados, from February 19-21, 2025.
“The Caribbean is not just our neighbor; it is a key pillar of U.S. national security. As the third border of the United States, the Caribbean plays an indispensable role in addressing regional challenges, from countering illicit drug trafficking to curbing irregular migration and human smuggling. The Caribbean is essential to U.S. trade and energy security, serving as a crucial hub for shipping lanes and a strategic partner in diversifying energy sources. It is a region where the United States remains the number one trading partner and welcomes millions of U.S. citizens annually, while a vibrant Caribbean diaspora here in the United States solidifies our economic and cultural bridges. Bolstering cooperation with, and the capacity of, our Caribbean partners through high-level engagement serves as a force multiplier for the litany of U.S. national security and economic priorities in the region,” the members wrote.
In today’s letter, members emphasized the strategic importance of the Caribbean to U.S. national security, economic resilience, and regional stability. The letter highlighted the need for continued U.S. engagement with CARICOM leaders to strengthen diplomatic, economic, and security ties, particularly in countering illicit drug trafficking, irregular migration, and China’s growing influence in the region. The full text of the letter can be found here.
Congressman Castro joined a bipartisan delegation of U.S. leaders for the 2023 CARICOM Conference to mark the organization’s 50th anniversary and to meet directly with regional leaders to discuss issues including regional security, economic growth, the climate crisis, and energy. More information on that delegation visit can be found here.
Castro has long prioritized U.S. engagement with the Caribbean as a core focus of his work on Western Hemisphere affairs. He previously introduced the bipartisan U.S-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act, a comprehensive roadmap to modernize U.S. engagement with Caribbean nations that calls on the United States to prioritize regional issues including energy security, climate resilience, democracy, human rights, public health, food security, and illegal firearms trafficking from the U.S. to the Caribbean, as well as the Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act, legislation that seeks to disrupt firearm trafficking from the U.S. to the Caribbean by implementing stronger transparency, accountability, and oversight mechanisms for U.S. small arms exports.