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Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has doubled down on his push for stricter mandatory minimum sentences for gun-related offenses, saying a recently circulated voice recording allegedly captured from prison inmates has only reinforced his belief that current sentencing practices are far too lenient.

Speaking during an appearance on the Pointe FM current affairs program *Browne and Browne Show* this past Saturday, Browne characterized the leaked audio as deeply disturbing, describing it as both “chilling” and “horrifying.” According to his account of the recording, the individuals speaking on the tape openly discussed waiting out their short current prison sentences before immediately returning to violent criminal activity once released.

Browne used the emergence of this recording to bolster his argument that the Caribbean nation’s criminal justice system is failing to curb gun violence by allowing dangerous offenders to return to the streets far too quickly after sentencing. He confirmed that his administration is preparing to table new legislation in national Parliament that will formalize mandatory minimum prison sentences for all gun-related crimes, a move that comes amid open criticism from the prime minister of what he views as consistently lenient sentencing decisions handed down by the country’s judicial branch.

In a nod to the need for a holistic approach to curbing youth violence, Browne stressed that harsher prison sentences alone will not solve the nation’s growing gun crime crisis. He issued a public call for collective action, urging parents, faith institutions including churches, local business owners, and community-based organizations to collaborate on efforts to guide at-risk young people away from cycles of violence and criminal activity before they become involved in serious offenses.

Notably, Browne did not disclose key details about the recording during his broadcast: he declined to name the speakers alleged to be on the audio, and provided no verifiable evidence confirming when or where the recording was captured. To date, neither the origin of the recording nor the identities of the people purported to be speaking on it have undergone independent verification by third-party outlets or investigators.

As negotiations over a bilateral migrant transfer agreement continue between Antigua and Barbuda and the United States, the Caribbean nation has laid out a non-negotiable core demand: Washington must cover 100 percent of all costs associated with hosting and supporting any third-country nationals relocated under the deal.

Details of the draft operating procedures, which were publicly disclosed Saturday during Pointe FM’s popular *Browne and Browne Show*, outline an extensive list of expenses that Antigua and Barbuda expects the U.S. to cover. These include accommodation, daily food provisions, medical care, immigration documentation, local transportation, language interpretation services, on-the-ground administration, and site security. The proposed U.S. funding would remain in place for every transferred individual until they either depart the country or secure independent legal status that allows them to reside in Antigua and Barbuda on their own behalf.

Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, emphasized that the government’s primary goal is shielding the nation from unplanned fiscal strain tied to the agreement. “We don’t wish to be burdened financially by these third-country nationals,” Browne stated in his comments on the proposal.

Under the terms laid out in the draft document, no transfers will be permitted to move forward until Antigua and Barbuda formally approves both the financial and operational frameworks of the arrangement. The draft also lays out a coordination structure: it proposes that the United States provide funding to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), or another mutually agreed third-party organization, to manage service delivery and support voluntary return processes for transferred individuals.

Any participating organization would need to finalize its own separate agreement to take on the coordination role. The draft includes a contingency clause: if the third-party organization’s support becomes unavailable, is scaled back, or ends entirely, all new transfers will be halted immediately unless Antigua and Barbuda formally agrees to an alternative arrangement. Crucially, funding for individuals already transferred must continue uninterrupted regardless of any changes to third-party support.

The full-cost funding requirement is one of several key safeguards the Browne administration added to the proposal after rejecting earlier terms put forward by Washington. Antigua and Barbuda has also introduced a strict cap on transfer volumes: no more than seven individuals can be relocated every three months, and every single transfer requires explicit written approval from the Antigua and Barbuda government.

Browne confirmed that the revised draft proposal has already been submitted to U.S. officials for their review and response. As of the latest update, the funding terms have not been finalized by both governments, and no transfers under the proposed framework have been publicly announced.