Mexico,United States
Tennessee Gun Collector, Drug Dealer Blows Whistle on US-Mexico Trade
Scripps Howard News Service (USA)
8 March 2010
The U.S. boss of a violent Mexican drug cartel who admitted ordering a hit on someone who ran afoul of him has been a busy man since authorities nabbed him and 34 kilograms of his cocaine at the border. He's traveled to Williamsport, Pa., to accompany his son on a Little League baseball trip. He's attended his sister's graduation from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He's vacationed with his family in Panama City, Fla.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Texas Gang Smuggled 340 Guns from Houston to Mexican Drug Cartels
CNN
18 February 2010
HOUSTON, Texas - John Phillip Hernandez and a friend walked into the Collector's Firearms gun store in Houston, Texas, to buy a cache of weapons. Hernandez was wearing sunglasses and a dark T-shirt with the words "I Am the Scene" scrawled across the front. It was April 28, 2007. Collector's Firearms was one of two gun stores they visited that day as part of a scheme to arm Mexican cartels across the border, according to federal... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Feds Say 300,000 Illegal Guns a Year Cross US-Mexico Border [Espanol]
Excelsior (Mexico City)
15 February 2010
[Translated summary: US federal authorities estimate that 300,000 crime guns are smuggled across the US-Mexico border each year.] Mientras que la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (Sedena) señala que 30 mil personas al año adquieren legalmente un arma (dos mil 500 al mes, en promedio), el Buró de Alcohol, Tabaco y Armas de Fuego de Estados Unidos (ATF, por sus siglas en inglés) calcula que alrededor de 300 mil nuevas armas... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States,Mexico
Michigan Man Caught Smuggling Assault Weapons from Texas to Mexico
NBC-25 TV News (Michigan)
3 February 2010
A Michigan man is behind bars in Texas after being caught smuggling guns and bags filled with bulletproof vests into Mexico. U.S. Border Patrol agents spotted Pablo Leyva-Angiano in a car near the Roma International Bridge around 8:15 p.m. Thursday. Court records show that the agents saw two men come from nearby brush, go to the trunk of his and run towards the Rio Grande with two trash bags. The 26-year-old Grand Rapids, Michigan... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
Hitmen Shoot, Kill 13 Students at Party in Mexico's Deadliest Drug Town
Reuters
1 February 2010
Suspected drug hitmen in Mexico have burst into a party and killed 13 high school students in Ciudad Juarez, the latest massacre in one of the world's deadliest cities. The students were celebrating victory in a local American football championship in a house in the city across the border from El Paso, Texas. "The men drove up in four SUVs. They were well-armed," a neighbour at the scene said. "They went into the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guatemala,Costa Rica,Mexico,United States
Latin America to Test US Gun-Tracking System
USA Today
6 January 2010
MEXICO CITY -- Police in Latin America will soon have access to a Spanish version of a U.S. gun-tracking system that could widen efforts to hunt down crime suspects and weapons traffickers. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said Wednesday that it is about to begin testing a Spanish-language version of eTrace, the computer system that helps police trace who buys U.S. firearms. "This is to allow... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
Mexican Drug Cartel Shoots Family of Military Man in Revenge for Raid
Associated Press
22 December 2009
MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Assailants on Tuesday gunned down the mother, aunt and siblings of a marine killed in a raid that took out one of Mexico's most powerful cartel leaders -- sending a chilling message to troops battling the drug war: You go after us, we wipe out your families. The brazen pre-dawn slayings came just hours after the navy honored Melquisedet Angulo as a national hero at a memorial service. "The message... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
Texan Mayor Escapes Mexican Restaurant Shooting, One Woman Killed
Associated Press
22 December 2009
PIEDRAS NEGRAS, Mexico - Gunmen sprayed bullets at a restaurant Tuesday where the mayor of a Texas border town was eating with a Mexican state attorney general and other officials, police said. A woman leaving the building was killed. Coahuila state Attorney General Jesus Torres and Chad Foster, mayor of Eagle Pass across the border from Piedras Negras, were unharmed, according to police officers at the scene. Foster was... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
6 Bodies Found, Evidence of Mass Shooting with Assault Rifles in Mexico
Associated Press
18 December 2009
MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Police found six bullet-ridden, decomposing bodies Friday near a highway leading to a Mexican resort on the Gulf of California. The six men were found half-buried on a dirt road off the highway frequently used by tourists from Arizona to reach the Puerto Penasco resort, widely known as Rocky Point, according to Sonora state police. The men's identities and the motive for their killing have not been... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Prosecutors Vow to Stem Flood of US-Mexico Border Gun Smuggling
Latin American Herald Tribune (Caracas) / EFE
3 December 2009
PHOENIX -- The head-on fight against weapons trafficking along the border with Mexico is one way to weaken the drug cartels, according to U.S. attorneys general assembled at their national convention on Wednesday. "The United States has increased its efforts to halt the flow of weapons toward Mexico," Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard told Efe. "The weapons are used by the cartels to carry out violent acts and try... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Mexico-US Gun Traffic Exposed as Feds Visit 1100 Licensed Gun Dealers
Government Executive (USA)
1 December 2009
U.S. officials estimate that more than 90 percent of the cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines that enter the United States are funneled through Mexico across the Southwest border. A less frequently cited figure is equally alarming to anyone living south of the border: Ninety percent of the weapons seized from the drug cartels by Mexican authorities are traced to the United States. While the cartels are moving drugs north, arms traffickers... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Bush Aide Recommends US Assault Rifle Ban to Slow Mexican Drug War
Washington Times
17 November 2009
The former head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection called Monday for the U.S. to reinstitute the ban on assault weapons and take other measures to rein in the war between Mexico and its drug cartels, saying the violence has the potential to bring down legitimate rule in that country. Former CBP Commissioner Robert C. Bonner also called for the United States to more aggressively investigate U.S. gun sellers and tighten security... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Washington State Gun Show Dealers Feed Weapons to Mexican Cartels
Yakima Herald-Republic (Washington)
17 November 2009
YAKIMA, Washington -- ATF agent Jessie Summers tried to deal with misconceptions before he talked about the illegal gun trade in Central Washington. "We're not here to take anybody's guns," he told a group of city and law enforcement officials from across the state gathered at the Yakima Convention Center. "The image of us being jackbooted thugs doesn't hold water." Not that Summers is worried so much about public image... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Mexico Border Control Task Force Seeks US Ban on Assault Weapons
Washington Post
13 November 2009
A binational task force on U.S.-Mexico border issues will call Friday on the Obama administration and Congress to reinstate an expired ban on assault weapons and for Mexico to overhaul its frontier police and customs agencies to mirror the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The recommendations are among a broad set of security, trade, development and environmental proposals that come as President Obama and his Mexicans counterpart,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
600 Seized Guns Just a 'Tiny Fraction' of US-Mexico Cartel Weapon Flow
Associated Press
3 November 2009
SAN DIEGO -- U.S. authorities on Tuesday reported a spike in seizures of guns and cash along the Mexican border since they began assigning more agents to stem the flow of southbound contraband. Nearly 600 illegal weapons were seized along the border by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials from March through September, an increase of more than 50 percent from the same period of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Firearm Registration Permits String of US-Mexico Gun Running Arrests
Las Vegas Sun (Nevada)
28 October 2009
The man known as "Zorra" is the latest catch for federal Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents in Las Vegas. Five days ago he pleaded guilty in federal court, and when he is sentenced in January he faces up to five years in prison. The agents placed Claudio Caesar "Zorra" Penunuri at the center of a gun smuggling ring from here to Southern California and then south into Mexico. He provided the more than $100,000 in cash... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Nevada Gun Dealers Sold 28 Weapons to Trafficker for Mexico Drug Cartel
Las Vegas Sun (Nevada)
26 October 2009
A man has pleaded guilty to using straw buyers to purchase at least 28 rifles and handguns in Las Vegas, knowing that the weapons were going to be taken to Mexico for criminal activity, U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden of Nevada said today. Claudio Caesar Penunuri, 34, pleaded guilty Friday before U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan to dealing in firearms without a license, Bogden said. Penunuri, also known as "Zorra" and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Texas Gun Dealer Jailed for Doing What Never Happens at Gun Shows
KVUE-TV News (Texas)
16 October 2009
A 58-year-old Luling man will be keeping his nose clean for the next few years. Thursday Alfred Dwight Watkins was sentenced to ten months in federal prison for dealing firearms without a license. After his prison sentence he will be under supervised release for three additional years. The judge also ordered him to pay a $11,232 fine. Last August Watkins admitted to selling firearms at Austin and San Antonio gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Mexico-US Task Force Urges Obama to Reinstate Assault Weapon Ban
Associated Press
14 October 2009
MEXICO CITY -- The United States should reinstate a Clinton-era ban on assault weapons to prevent such guns from reaching Mexican drug cartels, former officials from both countries said in a report released Tuesday. The group, which includes two former U.S. ambassadors to Mexico, also said the U.S. should do more to stop the smuggling of firearms and ammunition into Mexico by stepping up investigations of gun dealers and more strictly... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Feds Ramp Up Texas Team, Fight US-Mexico Gun Smuggling Flood
Associated Press
1 October 2009
HOUSTON -- A four-month effort to stop the flow of firearms from the U.S. to Mexican drug cartels has helped law enforcement disrupt various gun trafficking rings and gain a better understanding of how these groups try to avoid detection, officials announced Thursday. Many weapons seized south of the border are traced back to Houston, where 100 agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other personnel... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
Police Scan Subway Passengers for Guns After Mass Shooting in Mexico
Associated Press
20 September 2009
MEXICO CITY -- Police started randomly checking people for guns in the capital's 175 subway stations Saturday after a man opened fire inside a crowded station, killing two people and causing eight injuries. Mexico City Attorney General Miguel Angel Mancera said the gunman, Luis Felipe Hernandez, 38, who was wounded by police, was undergoing psychological exams to determine if he is mentally unstable. Authorities have 48 hours to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, Central America, South America, United States
Mexico Urges UN to Help Curb Gun Running to Latin America [Espanol]
El Universal (Mexico)
9 September 2009
El gobierno de México se pronunció por el "desarme ahora", al considerar que las armas nucleares representan un peligro para la paz y la seguridad internacionales y una "amenaza intolerable a la supervivencia de nuestra especie". Así lo indicó Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, titular de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores quien a nombre del gobierno de México inauguró junto con el secretario general de la ONU, Ban Ki-moon... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
US Must Stop Flow of Arms to Mexico, Says New US Ambassador
Associated Press
4 September 2009
MONTERREY, Mexico -- Washington's new ambassador to Mexico says the United States must stop the flow of weapons smuggled south across the border to improve security. Carlos Pascual says "we cannot continue to arm the cartels," referring to guns bought in the United States and sold to drug gangs in Mexico. Pascual also called for a solution for millions of undocumented workers in the United States. He spoke Friday... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
8 Killed with Assault Rifles in Mexico Party Town, Drug Cartel Stronghold
BBC News
30 August 2009
Eight people died when gunmen opened fire on a crowd partying in a Mexican coastal town, police say. The shooting took place in a boulevard in Navolato, Sinaloa state, said to be a popular weekend gathering place for young people. Local media said most of the victims were aged between 15 and 20. Sinaloa, which lies on Mexico's northern Pacific coast, is a drug trafficking hotspot and a stronghold for the notorious... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico
Mexico Destroys Thousands of Old Seized Guns, Holds Onto New Ones
Associated Press
26 August 2009
The Mexican army and prosecutors announced Tuesday they have started destroying 79,074 firearms seized a decade or more ago. They will hold on to tens of thousands more weapons seized during the current offensive against drug cartels. Authorities launched the program by destroying some weapons at a ceremony at a military base in Mexico City. The weapons being destroyed have all been held at government warehouses for years.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Arms Traffickers Recruit Women Buyers for US-Mexico 'Iron River' of Guns
USA Today
23 August 2009
HOUSTON -- Ann Zarate may be one of the most unlikely players to be swept up in Mexico's unrelenting drug war. The 24-year-old native of Texas' Rio Grande Valley is described by her attorney Jodi Goodwin as a "quiet, super sweet" woman who ultimately could not resist the promise of easy money for precious little work. Zarate was sentenced earlier this year to 10 months in federal prison as a buyer in a gun-trafficking ring... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, Central America, United Nations
Gun Treaty for the Americas Erodes US Sovereignty, Says Lobby Group
Green Bay Gazette (Wisconsin), Opinion
22 August 2009
DALLAS -- CIFTA -- the 1997 small-arms trafficking treaty drafted with the help of the Clinton administration -- is bad as a matter of principle and policy. When the United Nations tried to get the Bush administration to push the treaty through the Senate, it refused. John Bolton, then undersecretary of state for arms control, said the United States would reject any effort to regulate trade in non-military arms or any treaty that... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Leaders Pledge to Trace, Stem US-to-Mexico Drug Cartel Gun Running
Reuters
13 August 2009
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- U.S. and Mexican officials signed an agreement on Thursday meant to help stem the illegal flow of U.S.-made guns and ammunition that has allowed Mexican drug gangs to kill their rivals in record numbers. The letter of intent signed in San Antonio would see U.S. federal agencies share firearms trafficking information with the attorney general of Mexico, with the aim of tracing illegal weapons and prosecuting... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Overdue Inspections of Texas Gun Dealers Turn Up Gun Running Clues
Associated Press
13 August 2009
SAN ANTONIO -- Added agents have allowed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to inspect roughly 1,000 licensed gun dealers in the Houston area, an overdue check to ensure dealers are maintaining paperwork needed to investigate gunrunning rings, said the agency's acting director Thursday. "We've never had inspectors like this, not in a long time," Acting ATF Director Kenneth Melson said in an interview with The... ( gunpolicy.org )
Canada, Mexico, United States
Canadian PM Avoids 'Iron River' of US Guns Smuggled to Mexico, Canada
Toronto Star (Ontario), Editorial
9 August 2009
When Stephen Harper, Barack Obama and Felipe Calderon, the "three amigos" leading Canada, the United States and Mexico, saddle up for their summit in Guadalajara today and tomorrow, they will gallop through an agenda that has seldom been more rugged. From trade protectionism to climate change, swine flu and immigration issues, there will be scant time in the two-day meeting to pause for breath. But there's likely to be a glaring... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, Canada, Americas
US Gun Lobby Helped Draft Regional Gun Running Treaty, Now Oppose It
Washington Times
9 August 2009
President Obama's call for the Senate to ratify a hemispheric small-firearms treaty dominated his last visit to Mexico, but in the four months since, both the treaty pledge and the drug violence that prompted it have dropped off the radar -- a victim of Congress' full schedule and gun politics. That means on Sunday Mr. Obama will go with an empty hand to Mexico, which blames the U.S. for many of the weapons used by drug cartels... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Crackdown on Mexico Weapon Smuggling Hindered by Lax US Gun Laws
National Public Radio (USA)
1 August 2009
For years, Mexican drug traffickers have used gun stores and gun shows in the U.S. as their weapons supermarkets. The world's most murderous drug mafias operate on a border with a country that has the most permissive gun laws in the developed world. Mexican President Felipe Calderon met with President Obama in April and asked the U.S. to do more to curb the flow of weapons smuggled into Mexico. The crackdown has begun, but it's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
4 Arrested in California Arms Trafficking Bust, 1 Linked to Mexico Cartel
Associated Press
31 July 2009
LOS ANGELES -- A judge refused to grant bail for four men arrested Friday for their roles in an alleged arms trafficking ring, with one man claiming he is a member of a notorious Mexican drug cartel, federal authorities said. Edgardo Prado Casteneda, Vicente Garcia, Scott Blanks and Victor Velasquez will be arraigned in upcoming weeks, said U.S. attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek. Casteneda and Velasquez face drug and weapons-related... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Mexico, US Sign Protocol to Slow Flood of American Guns to Drug Cartels
Associated Press
13 July 2009
MEXICO CITY -- Mexico and the United States have agreed on a protocol for sharing information in arms trafficking cases. Top officials of both countries say the guidelines are aimed at helping them bring more cases against weapons traffickers. Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina-Mora made the announcement Monday at a joint news conference with John T. Morton, the assistant secretary of homeland security for U.S. Immigration... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
FBI Agent Illegally Bought, Sold Guns Used in Mexican Drug Shootings
New York Times
9 July 2009
An F.B.I. agent in El Paso has been arrested and charged with dealing guns, some of which ended up being used in gunfights between the authorities and drug dealers in Mexico, law enforcement officials said. The agent, John T. Shipley, was indicted Wednesday on charges he dealt firearms without a license for more than two years, buying the weapons from dealers on the Internet and then reselling them to unidentified buyers. Mr.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Federal Agencies Vow to Help Each Other Tackle US-Mexico Gun Running
Associated Press
30 June 2009
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico -- Two federal agencies criticized in the past for failing to work together to stop the flow of smuggled firearms from the United States to Mexico have agreed to boost their cooperation. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday at the start of a two-day summit in Albuquerque to teach law enforcement... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Federal Agents Hunt for US-Mexico Gun Runners, One House at a Time
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
30 June 2009
In front of a run-down shack in north Houston, federal agents step from a government sedan into 102-degree heat and face a critical question: How can the woman living here buy four high-end handguns in one day? The house is worth $35,000. A screen dangles by a wall-unit air conditioner. Porch swing slats are smashed, the smattering of grass is flattened by cars and burned yellow by sun. "I'll do the talking on this one,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Mexican Drug Cartels Shop for Guns in Arizona, Where Feds are Scarce
Arizona Daily Star
28 June 2009
PIMA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS -- Behind the rows of gun-filled tables at the back of the exhibition hall, a large red banner shines like a beacon: AK-47. Beneath the sign, Joeken Firearms owner Joe Cox does a brisk business selling the popular semiautomatic rifle at gun shows such as this one and at his store in Winslow. The rifle is fun to shoot and easier to clean than other rifles, and, perhaps more importantly, it carries... ( gunpolicy.org )
Oceania, Mexico, Australia, United Nations
Even Small Numbers of Guns Can Turn a Pacific Community to Chaos
PacNews / Pacific Islands News Association
25 June 2009
Guns in the Pacific region have the potential to create chaos, economic damage and social disruption, a just-completed conference has been told, reports Radio Australia. The meeting of Pacific Island officials in Sydney, Australia, was sponsored by the United Nations Disarmament Office and the Australian Government. It looked at the scale of the problem and initiatives to tackle it. It was chaired by Mexico's Pueblo... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Mexican Drug Cartel Guns Smuggled from US Dealers, But How Many?
Las Vegas Sun (Nevada)
25 June 2009
Fourteen guns were seized after a deadly drug raid on a house in Tijuana, Mexico, in October. Five of those guns reportedly had been purchased in Las Vegas. Those five guns -- four assault rifles and one sniper rifle -- represent a small drop in the steady stream of firearms that flows from the U.S. into Mexico, where they support drug trafficking operations, according to a report released by the Government Accountability Office... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
70% of 20,000 Crime Guns in Mexico Traced to US Gun Shows, Dealers
New York Times, Editorial
24 June 2009
Drug-related murders in Mexico doubled last year, to 6,200, as cartels fight for the American addict's dollar while relying on American gun dealers for their weapons. A new report to Congress traces over 90 percent of guns recovered in Mexican drug crimes in the last three years back across the border, where legal and illegal American dealers flout federal laws rife with loopholes. The findings contradict gun rights groups' claims... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Texas Gun Dealers Urge Customers Not to Buy for Mexican Drug Cartels
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
24 June 2009
The firearms industry is responding to allegations that Houston stores have become the primary source for Mexican drug cartel weapons by renting dozens of billboards around the city warning that customers who fraudulently purchase guns for others face prison time. The push comes at the urging of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It includes 71 roadside billboards and signs in the Houston area,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Jamaica, Mexico, United States
80 Percent of Jamaica's Traceable Crime Guns Are Smuggled from US
Associated Press
23 June 2009
KINGSTON, Jamaica -- Ships from Miami steam into Jamaica's main harbor loaded with TV sets and blue jeans. But some of the most popular U.S. imports never appear on the manifests: handguns, rifles and bullets that stoke one of the world's highest murder rates. The volume is much less than the flow of U.S. guns into Mexico that end up in the hands of drug cartels -- Jamaican authorities recover fewer than 1,000 firearms a year. But... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Gun Sales Allowed 'Hundreds of Times' to Names on Terrorist Watch List
Washington Post
23 June 2009
People named on the government's terrorism watch list have successfully purchased firearms hundreds of times since 2004, government investigators reported yesterday. In one case, a known or suspected terrorist was able to obtain an explosives license, the Government Accountability Office reported. U.S. lawmakers requested the audit to show how people on the watch list can be stopped from boarding airplanes but not from buying guns.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Gun Show Background Check Loophole Feeds Flow of US Guns to Mexico
Washington Independent
22 June 2009
The absence of required background checks for private firearm sales, like those made at gun shows, have helped fuel the steady flow of U.S. firearms to Mexico, where thousands of trafficked weapons are ending up in the hands of violent drug cartels, U.S. government investigators revealed last week. The news has renewed the call among gun-control advocates and some Democratic lawmakers to tighten the nation's firearms laws to make... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Republican Challenges Report on US Guns Smuggled to Mexican Cartels
Los Angeles Times
20 June 2009
WASHINGTON -- A government audit of U.S. efforts to stop arms trafficking to Mexico was criticized Friday by a Republican lawmaker who said its conclusion that smuggled weapons from America were fueling the rise of violent Mexican drug cartels was based on incomplete data. The report, released Thursday by the Government Accountability Office, said that the United States lacked a coordinated strategy to stem the flow of smuggled... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Agency Turf Battles Thwart Efforts to Combat US-Mexico Gun Running
Government Executive (USA)
19 June 2009
The two agencies with primary responsibility for cracking down on the flow of illegal weapons between the United States and Mexico do not consistently or effectively coordinate their efforts, leading to missed opportunities and jeopardizing investigations, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. In a report released on Thursday, GAO said an outdated interagency agreement and fights over jurisdiction... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Gun-smuggling Curbs 'Failing' on US-Mexico Border, Says GAO Report
BBC News
19 June 2009
The lack of a co-ordinated US strategy to combat the flow of illegal weapons into Mexico has fuelled drug violence there, a US government watchdog says. The Government Accountability Office (GAO), in a report published on Thursday, says key US agencies have failed to work together. Authorities in Mexico, which has seen a jump in drug-related murders, have long urged the US to tackle arms-smuggling. Secretary of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Report Finds US Slow to Curb Flood of Guns Smuggled South to Mexico
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
19 June 2009
For years, Mexico's drug cartels killed with reckless abandon using high-powered guns purchased in Texas, but only now, with thousands dead and the threat of violence spilling onto American soil, is the U.S. enlisting a comprehensive strategy to stop weapons traffickers, contends a new federal report. About 87 percent of the guns recovered in Mexico over the past five years that were traced back to their original owners were purchased... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Feds Lack Strategy to Stem Flow of US-Mexico Gun Running Cartels
Express-News (Texas)
18 June 2009
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. government lacks a coordinated strategy to stem the flow of weapons into Mexico, a failure that has fueled the rise of powerful criminal cartels and violence in that nation, a government watchdog agency report being released today says. The report by the independent Government Accountability Office represents the first government assessment of the issue and offers blistering conclusions that are likely to... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
GAO Report Highlights US Failure to Monitor, Curb Gun Running to Mexico
Congressional Documents and Publications
18 June 2009
WASHINGTON, DC -- At a hearing today, Congressman Eliot Engel -- the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere -- is releasing a report he commissioned from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on U.S. efforts to combat illegal gun trafficking to Mexico. The report -- which is the first GAO report ever issued on this topic -- cites the serious challenges that the United States faces in our efforts... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Mexican Cartels Smuggle In Flood of Guns Bought from US Gun Dealers
Washington Post / Federal Eye
18 June 2009
The federal government has failed to develop a coordinated strategy to stop the illegal trafficking of firearms into Mexico, according to a new government report. The General Accountability Office investigation released today cites Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives data that approximates 87 percent of firearms seized by Mexican authorities and submitted to the U.S. for tracing in the last five years came from the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Mexican Gun-runners Helped by Lax US Laws, Says Official GAO Report
Reuters
18 June 2009
WASHINGTON -- Loophole-laden laws in the United States are hampering efforts to stop the gun smuggling that fuels Mexico's drug-related violence, according to a congressional report released on Thursday. Efforts to trace firearms seized in Mexico are delayed by an average of two weeks due to the absence of a national U.S. firearms registry, the Government Accountability Office said. The report was released as the Obama... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Most Guns Recovered in Mexico Drug Violence Come from US, Says GAO
Wall Street Journal
18 June 2009
WASHINGTON -- A new study by the Government Accountability Office says most firearms recovered in drug violence in Mexico come from the U.S., a finding that will likely fuel the politically charged debate over the U.S. government's efforts to stem gun trafficking across the border. Drug-related murders have more than doubled in number to 6,200 last year from 2,700 in 2007, according to the GAO study, a draft of which was reviewed... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Most Guns Used by Mexican Drug Cartels Smuggled from United States
CNN
18 June 2009
WASHINGTON -- Most of the weapons that Mexican drug cartels use are smuggled from the United States, but the U.S. government lacks a cohesive strategy to combat the arms trafficking, according to a Government Accountability Office report to be released Thursday. Assault rifle magazines are among weapons seized in April in northern Mexico near the U.S. border. In Mexico last year, drug violence was blamed for the deaths... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
New Data Emerges on Flood of Guns Smuggled Into Mexico from USA
Christian Science Monitor
18 June 2009
ATLANTA -- Can new evidence that high-powered US firearms are fueling Mexican drug violence change the political course of gun control in Washington? Not likely, a number of gun experts say. The Government Accountability Office information that 87 percent of seized guns given to US authorities by Mexican officials come from the US shouldn't come as a surprise, says Bill Vizzard, a criminologist at the California State University... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Official Report Faults America's Efforts to Curb US-Mexico Gun Smuggling
Associated Press
18 June 2009
WASHINGTON -- Government efforts to stop the flow of guns from the United States to Mexico have suffered in recent years from having no clear plan to combat gunrunners affiliated with drug cartels, investigators have concluded. The Government Accountability Office, which is delivering its findings to Congress on Thursday, noted that federal agencies only recently began coordinating with Mexican counterparts on ways to stop gunrunning... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Mexico Drug Cartels Go Bargain Gun Shopping In Houston, Texas
Reuters
28 May 2009
HOUSTON -- Mexican drug gangs looking for weapons powerful enough to stop a vehicle, penetrate a bullet-resistant vest or confront an army detachment need look no further than the Houston area's 1,500 gun shops, where merchandise is priced to move. Guns like the Barrett M-82 sniper rifle, the AK-47 and Bushmaster .223 are among those favoured by cartel hitmen that slaughtered some 6,300 people in Mexico border cities like Ciudad... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
US-Mexico Effort Key in Cutting Off Gun Running, Says Consul General
El Paso Times (Texas), Letter
24 May 2009
I am writing in regard to Diana Washington's article, "Mexico data overstate weapons traced to U.S.," published by your daily on May 14. The government of Mexico remains concerned over the flow of small arms that prolongs the drug-related violence that has plagued Ciudad Juárez and other localities for over a year. Being neighbors has presented unparalleled opportunities for both our countries for many years. The issue... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Mexican Drug War Guns Came from Licensed Gun Dealers in Houston
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
20 May 2009
Ten Houston men, including three brothers, were charged Monday in a conspiracy to ship 151 military-style weapons south of the border. It's the region's biggest arms-trafficking case since the Obama administration vowed to do more to stem the flow of U.S. guns to Mexican drug cartel soldiers. Many of the weapons, which court papers indicate were bought by deceiving Houston firearms dealers, were civilian variants of M-16 assault... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Texas Focus for Gun Feds; Houston a Hub for US-Mexico Gun Running
Voice of America
20 May 2009
WASHINGTON, DC -- Federal agents have broken up a gun-smuggling ring in the Houston area that was allegedly sending weapons to criminal gangs in Mexico. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms has 100 additional agents in the border region for a 120-day special deployment under what is called "Project Gunrunner." The ATF agents involved in "Project Gunrunner" are trying to locate and seize weapons before they can be taken over... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Was 'Anti-aircraft' Gun Seized in Mexico a Big Police Hoax?
Narcosphere, Web page
10 May 2009
Mexican federal police commander Gen. Rodolfo Cruz Lopez described a weapon seized last month from one of the nation's deadly "drug cartels" as a .50 caliber anti-aircraft gun that fires 6-inch armor-piercing bullets at the rate of 800 rounds per minute. The mainstream media coverage on both sides of the border trumpeted the capture of this Rambo-style machine gun as evidence of the increasing danger the drug-trafficking organizations... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Mexico's Cache of 88,537 Smuggled, Seized Crime Guns Stymies Tracing
Associated Press
6 May 2009
MEXICO CITY, Mexico -- Deep inside a heavily guarded military warehouse, the evidence of Mexico's war on drug cartels is stacked two stories high: tens of thousands of seized weapons, from handguns and rifles to AK-47s, some with gun sights carved into the shape of a rooster or a horse's head. The vault nestled in a Mexican military base is the government's largest stash of weapons -- some 88,537 of them -- seized from brutal drug... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
NRA, Pro-Gun Democrats to Fight Obama Over Gun Trafficking Treaty
ABC News (USA) / Political Punch
30 April 2009
While President Obama has indicated he's not willing to expend any political capital to try to re-new the ban on semi-automatic assault weapons that expired in 2004 -- despite pleading from Mexican President Calderón that he do so -- he did announce a step this week that is meeting with opposition from the powerful National Rifle Association -- an international gun treaty that the Senate refused to ratify under former President Bill Clinton.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
100 Federal Agents Deploy to Texas to Catch US-Mexico Gun Traffickers
Associated Press
28 April 2009
HOUSTON -- One-hundred federal agents and other personnel have been deployed to Houston in an effort to stop the flow of firearms to Mexican drug cartels from one of the major sources of guns seized south of the border, officials announced Tuesday. They'll spend the next four months in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Houston field division, developing cases against people and groups trafficking firearms... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Record Number of Guns Seized in Mexico Traced to US Gun Dealers
Hearst Newspapers (USA)
23 April 2009
In 2008, a year when more than 7,000 Mexicans were killed in drug violence, a record number of weapons confiscated in Mexico were traced to U.S. retailers, the largest percentage of them in Texas, according to the latest available government data obtained by the Hearst News Service. The number of traced firearms -- 12,073 -- is more than double the previous two years combined, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Senators Launch New Bid to Close US Gun Show, Private Sale Loophole
The Hill (Washington DC)
21 April 2009
Several high-ranking senators led by Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) on Tuesday relaunched their push to require gun sellers to conduct background checks on purchases of all types of guns at state gun shows. On the heels of the 10-year anniversary of the Columbine shootings the lawmakers pushed to close the gun show "loophole" that exists in more than 30 states. These states do not require personal gun sellers, who are authorized... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Cut US Gun Running to Mexico, Ban Assault Weapons, Police Gun Shows
Center for American Progress (USA), Web page
20 April 2009
The United States needs to define a comprehensive strategy aimed at disrupting the traffic of arms to Mexico. This strategy must emphasize preventive initiatives on both sides of the border alongside effective controls on the sale of weapons at gun shows in the United States. Renewing the U.S. ban on assault weapons would help curb some the movement of these lethal military weapons to Mexico. The United States should also examine... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Gun Control Group Study Analyses US-Mexico Gun Smuggling Cases
KPBS-TV News (San Diego)
20 April 2009
A Washington DC gun control group says President Barack Obama should ban the import of assault weapons and make public a database that traces guns. Analysts with the Violence Policy Center say doing so would help crackdown on gun smuggling to Mexico. Violence Policy Center analysts looked at all federal firearms cases tied to Mexican gun traffickers they could find in California and three other states from 2006 to 2009. The... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
NRA Rips Obama Bid to Ban Assault Weapons, Disputes 90% Figure
Washington Times
20 April 2009
A top National Rifle Association official said the Obama administration is using the increasingly violent drug cartels in Mexico as an excuse to push for reinstating the ban on assault weapons. "They're trying to piggyback this whole phony issue on the back of the tragedy in Mexico," said Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the gun-rights group, on CBS' "Face the Nation" program Sunday. In a speech in Mexico last... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Obama 'Lying Through His Teeth' Over Gun Running to Mexican Cartels
Washington Times, Editorial
20 April 2009
The "liar, liar pants on fire" argument usually isn't the most effective. But when it comes to guns, President Obama is lying through his teeth. On Thursday, while on a visit to Mexico, the president continued his Blame America First tour. "This war is being waged with guns purchased not here but in the United States," he said, referring to the drug wars that are tearing apart our neighbor to the south. "More than 90 percent of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Mexican Arms Race: Ever-bigger US and Other Guns Reach Drug Cartels
Associated Press
19 April 2009
MEXICO CITY, Mexico -- An escalating arms race among Mexico's drug cartels casts doubt on whether Mexico or the U.S. can stop the flow of weaponry, despite renewed vows last week from presidents of both countries. Stockpiles captured by Mexican soldiers show that warring traffickers are now obtaining military-grade weaponry such as grenades, launchers, machine guns, mortars and anti-tank rockets. Some drug gangs have even... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico, United States
Pennsylvania Governor, NRA Boss in Heated Spat Over Assault Weapons
The Hill (Washington DC)
19 April 2009
Lawmakers are trying to use the ongoing drug war in Mexico to build momentum to reinstate a ban on assault weapons, the head of the National Rifle Association (NRA) alleged Sunday. "They're trying to piggyback this whole issue on the back of this tragic issue in Mexico," NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre argued Sunday morning on CBS. LaPierre appeared on "Face the Nation" alongside Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D), a gun-control advocate,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Laws Support, Gun Dealers Profit from Mexican Cartel Gun Runners
Washington Post
19 April 2009
PHOENIX -- It seemed a fortuitous alignment of justice and politics, George Iknadosian's trial beginning just as President Obama called for new attention to the flow of weapons from the United States to the drug cartels inside Mexico. The Phoenix gun dealer stood charged with selling hundreds of AK-47 assault rifles and pistols, and the case appeared airtight: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives had secret recordings,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, Americas
Obama Signals Assault Weapon Ban: US Gun Buying Frenzy Reinforced
Sydney Morning Herald
18 April 2009
WASHINGTON -- Sales of military-style assault weapons should be banned in the US, Barack Obama said as he met his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderon, to discuss measures to curb the violence among Mexican drug cartels. But the US President set no timetable for pushing for legislative change -- a move that would be highly controversial in the US. Instead he said he would seek Senate ratification of an inter-American arms trafficking... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, Americas
Assault Weapon Ban Faces Too Much Opposition, Obama Tells Mexico
Washington Post
17 April 2009
MEXICO CITY -- President Obama and his Mexican counterpart, Felipe Calderón, outlined a common approach Thursday to combating drug violence, climate change and trade disputes but appeared to part ways over the urgency of reinstating a U.S. ban on assault weapons. On his first presidential visit to Mexico, Obama praised Calderón for taking on the drug cartels, whose potent arsenals and economic power are threatening the integrity... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, Guatemala
Dallas-Fort Worth Cases Highlight US-Mexico Gun Trafficking Problem
Dallas Morning News (Texas)
17 April 2009
Weapons seized in local cases show North Texas isn't immune from the gun trafficking that's feeding Mexico's drug cartels. While the volume of trafficking locally isn't clear, it is happening. "The cartels will get guns anywhere they can," said Richard Roper, who was U.S. attorney here until January. Thomas Crowley, a special agent with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said, "We... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Houston Man Gets 8 Years for Selling 103 Guns to Mexican Drug Lords
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
17 April 2009
A Houston man, who authorities contend supplied a Mexican drug cartel with 103 military-grade weapons, including some used in the "Acapulco Massacre" of police officers, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison Friday. While John Hernandez, a 26-year-old unemployed machinist who lived with his parents, didn't know precisely that the guns would be used to kill police and gangsters, he knew well that he was arming cartel hit... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, Americas
Obama Blames US for Mexico Gun War, Urges Senate Gun Control Battle
Washington Times
17 April 2009
MEXICO CITY -- Meeting face-to-face with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, President Obama on Thursday said the U.S. is to blame for much of Mexico's drug violence, and he set up a major congressional gun-control battle by calling on the Senate to ratify a treaty designed to track and cut the flow of guns to other countries. Mr. Obama said he wants to renew a ban on some semiautomatic weapons but that it is not likely to pass Congress.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Obama Insists He Hasn't Backed Off On Plan to Ban Assault Weapons
Reuters
17 April 2009
MEXICO CITY -- President Barack Obama stood alongside Mexico's Felipe Calderon on Thursday and promised to help his "courageous" fight against ruthless drug cartels waging turf wars along the joint border. In his first trip to Latin America as U.S. president and fresh from his first big foray onto the global stage in Europe last month, Obama said Mexico and the United States both needed to strengthen and coordinate their drug war... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Obama is Right: US Assault Weapon Ban Is Not Easy, But It Is Necessary
Christian Science Monitor, Editorial
17 April 2009
President Obama is not flip-flopping on gun restrictions. He's not even flipping. But he is standing still, pointedly refusing to push ideas he supported as a candidate -- reasonable ideas such as requiring criminal background checks on buyers at gun shows and reinstating the federal ban on assault weapons. For instance, Mr. Obama said in Mexico yesterday that he has "not backed off at all from [his] belief that the ... assault-weapons... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, Americas
US Gun Lobby, Democrats Line Up to Deny Obama's Plea for Gun Treaty
ABC News (USA), Blog
17 April 2009
While President Obama has indicated he's not willing to expend any political capital to try to re-new the ban on semi-automatic assault weapons that expired in 2004 -- despite pleading from Mexican President Calderón that he do so -- he did announce a step this week that is meeting with opposition from the powerful National Rifle Association -- an international gun treaty that the Senate refused to ratify under former President Bill Clinton.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Pledges to Improve Abysmal Record, Stem Flow of Guns to Mexico
Wall Street Journal
17 April 2009
President Barack Obama on Thursday told Mexican President Felipe Calderón that the U.S. would stem a flow of weapons across the border into Mexico. But while Washington has spent more than $30 billion since the early 1990s to keep illicit goods and illegal immigrants from entering the U.S., it has had virtually nothing in place to check -- let alone stop -- what is flowing out. Mexican authorities have long pressed the U.S. to... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Don't Expect US Deal with Mexico on Assault Weapon Ban - CNN Analysis
CNN
16 April 2009
President Obama visits Mexico with many issues on the table, but reinstating the ban on assault weapons in the U.S. isn't likely to be one on which the two countries can reach agreement. Mexican officials say criminals use assault weapons from the U.S. in the violent border region. Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Arturo Sarukhan, Mexico's ambassador to the U.S., say reinstating the ban would stop the deadly flow of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, Americas
Sorry, NRA: Mexican Gun Traffickers Do Buy American Assault Weapons
Huffington Post (USA)
16 April 2009
In a recent 'commentary' posted on CNN.com, National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre dismissed statements from U.S. and Mexican government officials that, based on firearms tracing data from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Mexico's drug cartels obtain 90 percent or more of their firearms from the United States. In making his argument, LaPierre preaches to the choir... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
American Gun Sale Loopholes Let Weapon Smuggling to Mexico Flourish
New York Times
15 April 2009
HOUSTON -- John Phillip Hernandez, a 24-year-old unemployed machinist who lived with his parents, walked into a giant sporting goods store here in July 2006, and plunked $2,600 in cash on a glass display counter. A few minutes later, Mr. Hernandez walked out with three military-style rifles. One of those rifles was recovered seven months later in Acapulco, Mexico, where it had been used by drug cartel gunmen to attack the offices... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Ending Flows of Drugs, Guns Tops President Obama's Mexico Visit
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
15 April 2009
WASHINGTON - As the death toll in Mexico's drug wars soars into the thousands, the United States government and public have focussed more attention not just on drugs flowing north but also on the easy supply of weapons flowing south. "There's no doubt that the vast majority of weapons seized in Mexico come from the United States," Attorney General Eric Holder said on a trip to Mexico earlier this month. "This is a reality we have... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Sting Nets Mexican Gun Runners Buying $2million Worth of US Weapons
El Paso Times (Texas)
14 April 2009
EL PASO -- Two men from Guadalajara, Mexico, are accused of trying to buy $2 million worth of weapons and ammunition from undercover federal agents in El Paso. Osvaldo Tostado Gonzalez, 31, and Gabriel Gonzalez Gonzalez, 38, allegedly planned to smuggle automatic rifles and other firearms into Mexico, said Leticia Zamarripa, spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Both men made an initial appearance before... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, Americas
UN Official Calls for US to Sign, Ratify Global Gun Control Protocol
New York Times, Opinion
14 April 2009
Mexican drug cartels are spreading fear and death on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Over 1,000 people have been killed already this year, while 6,000 died in 2008. Some critics point to the current crisis as another failed campaign against drugs. They regard legalization as a way of removing drug cartels from the supply chain. But the solution lies in a tougher stance on guns, not a softer control of drugs. Otherwise a threat to public... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Mexican Ambassador Says US Guns, Assault Weapons Fuel Drug War
Associated Press
13 April 2009
WASHINGTON -- Stopping the flow of money and weapons from the United States into Mexico is critical to dealing with the violent drug cartels creating havoc on the border, the Mexican ambassador to the U.S. said Sunday. Mexican officials believe that 90 percent of the weapons seized there can be traced to the U.S., Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan said. "The key issue right now is how can the United States help to shut down those... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Mexico Says US Fuels Gun Crime, Asks Obama for Assault Weapon Ban
BBC News
12 April 2009
Mexico's ambassador to the US has urged America to stop the flow of guns and cash that pass into his country, fuelling the country's drug wars. Arturo Sarukhan said US money and weapons provided the drug cartels with the means to "corrupt, bribe and kill". President Barack Obama is due to visit Mexico later this week. More than 6,000 people died last year in Mexico in drug-related violence and Mexico believes 90%... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico, Central America
Mexico's US Ambassador Insists 90% of Smuggled Weapons Flow South
CBS News 'Face The Nation' / CQ Transcriptwire, Transcript
12 April 2009
ANNOUNCER: FACE THE NATION with CBS News chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer. And now from CBS News in Washington, Bob Schieffer. SCHIEFFER: And, good morning again. The ambassador from Mexico is in New York this morning, Arturo Sarukhan. Mr. Ambassador, thank you so much for joining us. The president goes to Mexico this week at a time when the Mexican government is fighting these drug cartels, nearly 7,000 people killed... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Mexican Drug Traffickers Mainly Armed With Smuggled US Guns
Christian Science Monitor
8 April 2009
ATLANTA and MEXICO CITY -- For two years, Uriel Hernandez and his associates purchased an assortment of handguns, shotguns, and assault rifles in the San Antonio area and shuttled them across the Mexican border. In all, 200 weapons were smuggled in -- an operation that got Mr. Hernandez a gunrunning conviction in US federal court April 2. In the last four years, the US has prosecuted more than 380 similar cases of gun smuggling... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Faces Gun Rights, Gun Smuggling Debate as Weapons Flood Mexico
Chicago Tribune
5 April 2009
NOGALES, Mexico -- A steady flow of Americans used to come down Interstate 19 to this city on the Arizona border: those looking for cheap prescription drugs, kitschy souvenirs or less wholesome pursuits. That flow of visitors has largely dried up, and city leaders blame another southward stream. Guns from the U.S. are fueling an outbreak of violence in Nogales and all over Mexico, according to officials from both countries. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Gun Dealers Supply Most Weapons Used By Mexican Drug Cartels
Associated Press
3 April 2009
U.S. and Mexican officials say they will soon name a group to develop strategies for stopping the cross-border flow of weapons and drugs. Emerging from a conference Thursday with U.S. officials, Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina-Mora said more meetings are needed to develop plans to bring warring drug cartels under control along the border. Medina-Mora also announced plans to begin checking 10 percent of the vehicles... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Myth of 90 Percent: Only Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Came from USA
Fox News (USA)
2 April 2009
You've heard this shocking "fact" before -- on TV and radio, in newspapers, on the Internet and from the highest politicians in the land: 90 percent of the weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico come from the United States. - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it to reporters on a flight to Mexico City. - CBS newsman Bob Schieffer referred to it while interviewing President Obama. - California Sen. Dianne... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US 'Finally Paying Attention' to Flood of American Guns to Mexican Cartels
Economist
2 April 2009
EL PASO and MEXICO CITY -- Arizona's attorney-general, Terry Goddard, says he started to worry about American guns ending up in the hands of Mexican drug traffickers two years ago. That was after a meeting in Cuernavaca with Mexico's attorney-general, Eduardo Medina Mora, who urged him and several of his counterparts from other American states to enforce the law banning the export of assault weapons that can be legally bought north of the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Targets Gun Flows Into Mexico in Bid to Stem Drug Cartel Violence
Christian Science Monitor
2 April 2009
MEXICO CITY -- In the latest flurry of activity to help stem the drug-related violence that has engulfed Mexico and begun to spill over the US border, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Eric Holder are meeting with their Mexican counterparts today in the city of Cuernavaca. A centerpiece issue of the visit will be a new US pledge to help stem the flow of guns and other high-powered weapons... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
Mexico Trying Harder to Catch Smuggled US Guns at Porous Border
Associated Press
1 April 2009
MEXICO CITY -- Try to bring a refrigerator into Mexico in the back of your pickup, and you are almost certain to get stopped by Mexican customs officials. Stick a couple of AK-47 rifles in your trunk, and chances are you'll whiz right through. Now Mexico is owning up to its leaky border as it launches a new program to monitor vehicles entering the country. The goal is to weigh and photograph southbound cars and trucks,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Mexico
US Gun-control Crowd Pushes Radical Goal: Stop Gun Running to Mexico
Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Georgia), Opinion
1 April 2009
As the little girl in the 1980s flick, "Poltergeist," said, "They're back." Now, after consciously maintaining a low profile the last two years, even though the Democratic Party maintained a majority in both houses of the Congress, the gun-control crowd is stirring. Yes, they're back. And they're feeling their oats. Smartly, congressional benefactors for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, the nation's most notorious gun... ( gunpolicy.org )
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