Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
United States,Mexico,Guatemala
Only Three Countries Have a Constitutional Right to Bear Arms
23 November 2022
Business Insider
- Only three countries in the world currently have a constitutional right to own a gun: the US, Mexico, and Guatemala.
- Six other countries used to have a constitutional right to bear arms, but they've since repealed those laws.
- The US is the only country with a right to keep and bear arms with no constitutional restrictions.
The right to keep and bear arms is a longstanding, often glorified right protected by the US Constitution.
Americans own nearly half of all... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico's Bold Move Against Gun Companies
1 September 2022
Arms Control Association
Of 193 member states of the United Nations, Mexico has the fifth-largest number of unregistered firearms in civilian hands, behind the United States, India, China, and Pakistan.(1) This availability of firearms and the violence it enables have major destructive consequences. In Mexico, guns are the weapon of choice in 70 percent of total homicides and 60 percent of homicides committed against women. Guns are also the main tool in homicides of young people.
Gun violence... (GunPolicy.org)
More soldiers… and more violence
26 August 2022
El Sol de México
More soldiers… and more violence
Although the deployment of soldiers has increased, homicides have not decreased in the country. In some states with a strong presence of organised crime, such as Durango, Michoacán and Guerrero, the number of soldiers has even decreased.
The deployment of the military has increased during the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, but it has not counteracted the violence on Mexican territory, as the number of... (GunPolicy.org)
Army Asks for More Than 600 Million Pesos for Weapons
3 May 2022
El Sol de México
The Ministry of National Defence (SEDENA) requested 671.4 million pesos from the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP) for the replacement of armaments in order to raise the morale of army troops and minimise the physical effort required to carry out their activities.
According to the project's justification document, a public version of which can be consulted on the Treasury's investment portfolio website, the military agency's objective is to supply the... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica,Venezuela,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,Colombia,Belize,Mexico,Brazil,El Salvador,Guatemala,Guyana,Ecuador,Haiti,Panama,Costa Rica,Dominican Republic,Uruguay,Paraguay,Nicaragua,Peru,Chile,Argentina,Bolivia
InSight Crime's 2021 Homicide Round-Up
1 February 2022
InSight Crime
In 2021, most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean experienced a marked increase in murders. Resurgent violence was to be expected after some of the world's longest COVID-19 lockdowns were lifted.
Much of the population found themselves sinking deeper into poverty. With schools late to reopen, teenagers returned to the streets with little to do, making them prime targets for recruitment.
The pandemic also made law enforcement more difficult. Police were... (GunPolicy.org)
Permits to buy firearms on the rise
28 January 2022
El Sol de México
During the first half of Q4, 16,150 [firearm licences] were granted, 31% more than in the first three years of Peña Nieto's term.
His history with the use of firearms goes back to his childhood. When he was six years old, he would go hunting with his father in the mountainous areas on the outskirts of the ranchería where he lived in Tepalcatepec, Michoacán. His old man would show him how to hold and aim the shotgun to shoot deer, birds and other species. Now, nearly... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Australia,New Zealand,United Kingdom,Falkland Islands,Mexico
How US Gun Culture Stacks Up With the World
26 November 2021
CNN
Ubiquitous gun violence in the United States has left few places unscathed over the decades. Still, many Americans hold their right to bear arms, enshrined in the US Constitution, as sacrosanct. But critics of the Second Amendment say that right threatens another: The right to life.
America's relationship to gun ownership is unique, and its gun culture is a global outlier.
As the tally of gun-related deaths continue to grow daily, here's a look at how gun culture in... (GunPolicy.org)
Argentina,Brazil,Chile,Colombia,Mexico
Gun Laws in Latin America's Largest Economies
26 August 2021
Council of the Americas (COA)
Countries may adopt stringent gun control laws, but their efforts are complicated by international arms smuggling. We explore policies in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico.
For government across Latin America, reducing violence and providing security are top agenda items. AS/COA Online looks at gun-related legislation in Latin America's largest economies, identifying regulations for arms licensing. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Sues US Gunmakers to Stop Weapons Crossing Border
4 August 2021
Guardian
The Mexican government has launched legal action against US gunmakers in an unprecedented attempt to halt the flow of guns across the border, where US-made weapons are routinely used in cartel gun-battles, terror attacks on civilians – and increasingly to challenge the state itself.
The Mexican government is suing six gunmakers in a Massachusetts court, alleging negligence in their failure to control their distributors and that the illegal market in Mexico "has been... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Central America,Honduras
US-made Guns are Active in Central America
16 April 2021
The Guardian
The stray bullet from the gang fight struck Katery Ramos when she was 12 years old, playing on the dirt street in the poor Planeta neighbourhood of San Pedro Sula, Honduras. "I was standing up for a moment, afterwards I fell," she told me, sitting with her mother in a scrubby field near her home.
The bullet entered just above her waist and didn't hurt, she said. But when she arrived at the hospital, the doctor announced that it had cut through her spine. She was... (GunPolicy.org)
The Imminent Need to Put Gun Violence on the Feminist Agenda
17 March 2021
Intersecta
While six out of every ten homicides of women are perpetrated with a firearm at the national level, recent estimates indicate that nearly eight million people in Mexico have access to a firearm in their own homes. Against this backdrop, what do we know about gun regulation in the country, and why is it urgent to put the issue of gun violence on the feminist agenda?
Since the implementation of the now familiar militarised security policies promoted by former President... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica,Venezuela,Haiti,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,Mexico,Belize,Colombia,El Salvador,Brazil,Puerto Rico,Guatemala,Pakistan,Panama,Costa Rica,Nicaragua,Uruguay,Dominican Republic,Peru,Ecuador,Paraguay,Argentina,Chile,Bolivia
InSight Crime's 2020 Homicide Round-Up
29 January 2021
InSight Crime
While unrest gripped much of Latin America in 2019, it was the coronavirus that took center stage and ripped through the region in 2020, upending everything from commercial trade to the operations of local gangs and transnational criminal organizations.
It's too early to tell with any degree of certainty how exactly the pandemic may have impacted levels of violence, but there were notable developments, including significant reductions in El Salvador, Guatemala,... (GunPolicy.org)
Jamaica,Honduras,Trinidad & Tobago,El Salvador,Belize,Mexico,Colombia,Guatemala,Puerto Rico,Brazil,Panama,Costa Rica,Uruguay,Dominican Republic,Peru,Nicaragua,Ecuador,Argentina,Chile,Bolivia,Paraguay
InSight Crime's 2019 Homicide Round-Up
28 January 2020
InSight Crime
Unrest gripped much of Latin America and the Caribbean throughout 2019. From record violence in Mexico that recalled the darkest days of the drug war, to increased fighting among armed groups in Colombia vying for control in the absence of the FARC and a rise in massacres in Honduras, the region was again one of the world's most homicidal last year.
In its annual Homicide Round-Up, InSight Crime looks into the country-by-country murder rates and the factors... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 2 Million Illegal Weapons Enter Mexico in the Last Decade
14 August 2019
Universidad de Guadalajara T.V
The Mexican government has records of 2,12,573 weapons that entered the country illegally in the last decade, and a large percentage of them have still not been recovered, Defence Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said today.
Since this is a clandestine activity, the Mexican authorities rely on data provided by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the minister explained at a press conference accompanied by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López... (GunPolicy.org)
Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Yemen,China,Israel,Russia,Brazil,United Kingdom,Germany,India,Canada,Austria,Australia,Mexico,United States,Japan,South Africa
How to Buy a Gun in 15 Countries
2 March 2018
New York Times
Many Americans can buy a gun in less than an hour. The process takes months in some countries. Here are the basic steps for how most people buy a gun in 15 of them. Many countries have exceptions for specialized professions, and local laws vary.
United States
1) Pass an instant background check that considers criminal convictions, domestic violence and immigration status.
2) Buy a gun. Many states have additional buying restrictions, including waiting periods and... (GunPolicy.org)
24,000 Guns Seized in Tamaulipas, Mexico Since 2011 [ES]
23 November 2016
Expreso (Mexico)
[Translated summary: The Mexican Army has seized 24,000 firearms in the state of Tamaulipas since January 2011, most of them in an operation that involved civilians with pistols, semi-automatic guns and assault weapons. In the same period, 2,871 guns were destroyed and 10,611 new firearms were registered.]
CIUDAD VICTORIA -- El Ejército ha asegurado 24 mil armas de fuego en Tamaulipas de enero de 2011 a octubre de este año, la mayoría en operativos que involucraban... (GunPolicy.org)
Traffickers Flood Mexico with Easily Bought American Guns [ES]
22 November 2016
Vice News (US)
[Translated summary: Although Mexico has some of the strictest gun legislation in the world, with only one shop where guns can be bought legally, there are more than 15 million guns in circulation and 85% are illegal. One of the main reasons is the proximity of the USA, where guns are easily available. Almost 100,000 Mexicans died of gun wounds in the last decade.]
Es casi la media noche del 11 de octubre y la policía recibe una llamada de emergencia alertando de una... (GunPolicy.org)
The Steps to Own a Firearm Legally in Mexico [ES]
19 November 2016
24 Horas (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Mexican law allows civilians to own a firearm for security and self-defence but only inside their own homes. The gun has to be registered and can only be a semi-automatic handgun with a calibre not higher than .38. Carrying hidden handguns is restricted to special cases.]
Aunque la iniciativa de reforma a la Ley Federal de Armas de Fuego y Explosivos no ha sido dictaminada al no encontrar respaldo de las fracciones parlamentarias en el Senado, el... (GunPolicy.org)
Again ,Mexico Breaks Its Record for Number of Gun Deaths [ES]
16 November 2016
Newsweek (USA)
[Translated Summary: From July to September 2016, Mexico had the highest number of homicides during the presidential administration of Peña Nieto. August and September were the months with the highest number of firearm deaths, with 1,238 in August, and 1,222 in September. July, August and September had the highest number of homicides since 1997.]
Durante el gobierno de Enrique Peña Nieto la cifra de asesinatos con armas de fuego ha alcanzado nivel récord, y el... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Central America,United States,Mexico
A Third of the World's Gun Deaths Are In Latin America [ES]
11 November 2016
La Jornada (Mexico)
[Translated summary: International reports show that with 8% of the global population, Latin America has 33% of the world's firearm homicides. Violent deaths in Mexico, Colombia and Brazil represent 20% of the total, Brazil having the highest numbers. The US has 70 times more homicides and 35 times more suicides than the UK.]
Ciudad de México. En el foro "El Control de Armas y su Gestión de la Violencia y la Delincuencia, una Mirada desde Brasil y México", la... (GunPolicy.org)
State Authorities Exchange Guns for Money in Mexico [ES]
4 November 2016
El Vigía (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Mexican Civil and military authorities encourage civilians to surrender firearms; in exchange they will receive money. The objective of this campaign is to recover firearms in a voluntary, anonymous and peaceful way way in return for an economic benefit.]
Como parte de las acciones encaminadas a la prevención autoridades civiles y militares convocaron a la comunidad a entregar armas de fuego que puedan tener en sus hogares y, a cambio recibirán... (GunPolicy.org)
Of 15,000 Homicides in Mexico, 60% Were by Gunshot [ES]
31 October 2016
Unión Jalisco (Mexico)
[Translated summary: According to the National System of Public Safety, there were 15,201 homicides in Mexico in the first nine months of 2016. 9,232 of these homicides were committed with firearms, a number that represents 60% of the total.]
Poco más de cinco de cada diez homicidios dolosos registrados en Jalisco se cometieron con el uso de armas de fuego.
Cifras del Secretariado Ejecutivo del Sistema Nacional de Seguridad Pública (SESNSP) muestran que al 30 de... (GunPolicy.org)
11 Million Illegal Guns in Mexico, Only 234,738 Seized [ES]
31 October 2016
Milenio (Mexico)
[Translated summary: 234,738 firearms were seized in Mexico in 18 years. In the same time there were 111,453 gun homicides. A report by the Chamber of Deputies estimates that there are 11 million illegal firearms in the country, most of them trafficked from the US, while between 2.8 and 4 million firearms are legally owned.]
Desde la administración de Vicente Fox y hasta el gobierno de Enrique Peña Nieto han sido decomisadas 234 mil 738 armas de diferente calibre en... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Seized 152,528 Guns from Drug Gangs in 10 Years [ES]
24 October 2016
Crónica (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Most of the 152,528 guns the Mexican army has confiscated from drug dealers are high-calibre weapons. Among them there are machine guns, rifles, shotguns, almost 60,000 handguns and over 19,000 AK-47 pattern rifles. They also found rocket launchers and mortars.]
La mayoría de las armas que el Ejército mexicano ha asegurado en flagrancia y en operativos a los grupos criminales en diez años de lucha contra el narcotráfico es de grueso calibre;... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Gun Law Inconsistent, Says Gun Rights Group [ES]
23 October 2016
Radio Formula
[Translated summary: The director of a Mexican gun rights forum explained that there are 5 million registered firearms and 15 million in total, but there are only 3,500 citizens with licences to carry. This is due to a 1972 law that limits citizens' right to self-defence.]
Luciano Segura Álvarez, director de la zona centro de "México Armado", afirmó que el foro está a favor de la iniciativa propuesta por el senador panista Jorge Luis Preciado, sobre permitir la... (GunPolicy.org)
Six out of 10 Favour Carrying Hidden Handguns in Mexico [ES]
19 October 2016
Lopez Doriga
[Translated Summary: According to a study, 59 out of 100 Mexicans think government should allow them to carry hidden handguns in public, in private vehicles and in shops for self defence. When asked, 41% said they would buy a gun.]
A 59 de cada cien mexicanos les parece que las leyes deben permitir la posesión de armas más allá del hogar para emplearlas en legítima defensa y creen que deben autorizarse en el auto o negocio para defenderse de la criminalidad.
El... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 10,000 Guns Voluntarily Destroyed in State of Mexico [ES]
19 October 2016
La Jornada (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: In the last five years in the State of Mexico, over 10,100 firearms have been collected, mainly from exchange programs. These firearms were surrendered peacefully, voluntarily and anonymously. The mayor explained that 400 children die in suicides, homicides and accidents caused by guns in Mexico every year and that 73.2% of violent deaths among the youth are caused by guns.]
En los últimos cinco años, en el Estado de México se han logrado... (GunPolicy.org)
Hidden Handguns a Risky Option for Civilians in Mexico [ES]
19 October 2016
Excelsior (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: An expert sociologist, René Jiménez Ornelas, notes that firearm possession in shops and legal hidden handguns in private vehicles will only generate more violence among civilians in Mexico. In an environment where firearms are common,"there will be more aggression, fights and incidents with guns"; similar to what happens in the US.]
René Jiménez Ornelas, integrante del Instituto de Investigaciones Sociales de la UNAM, destacó que la iniciativa... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Purchases Have Soared 1700% in Mexico Since 2000 [ES]
14 October 2016
Panampost (USA)
[Translated Summary: There has been an increase of 1700% in gun purchases by civilians in Mexico in the last 15 years. Between January 2000 and January 2016, 95,664 firearms were sold to the public. The increase has been almost 100% annually in the first years, with an additional 100% surge in ammunition sales.]
Con el afán de protegerse de la delincuencia, en México se ha incrementado 1700 % la compra de armas de fuego por parte de civiles en un lapso de 15... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Lawmakers Push Tougher Penalty for Gun Carrying [ES]
11 October 2016
Informador (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: PRI, a political party in Mexico, opposes an initiative to allow civilians to carry firearms in their households, work places and vehicles. They want to increase jail sentences up to 10 years and fines of 200 days for anyone caught carrying a military firearms. They also want to know where firearms are located in the country.]
El grupo parlamentario del Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) en la Cámara de Diputados busca revertir la... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Senator Wants Law to Allow Civilians Hidden Handguns
11 October 2016
Fusion (US)
MEXICO CITY— Mexico doesn't have much of a gun culture but the country could be on the verge of a heated debate on the right to bear arms.
A Senator from Mexico's conservative National Action Party (PAN) is backing a bill that would reform the Constitution to allow firearm possession inside private businesses and vehicles. The proposal also seeks to allow bus drivers, cabbies, truckers and other transportation operators to carry firearms to protect themselves, their... (GunPolicy.org)
Groups Oppose Hidden Handguns for Civilians in Mexico [ES]
7 October 2016
Informador (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Mexican organisations criticize the proposal of Senator Preciado to allow citizens to carry guns for self-defence, saying that authorities are not recognizing the extent of insecurity in Mexico City. They say such measures worsen insecurity, as violent crimes increase as more firearms become available.]
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO -- El Observatorio Nacional Ciudadano de Seguridad, Justicia y Legalidad (ONC) y el Observatorio Ciudadano de la Ciudad de... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 70% Homicides in Mexico City Are By Firearm [ES]
6 October 2016
Reforma (Mexico)
[Translated summary: The first semester of 2016 was the most violent in 16 years in Mexico City, with 477 homicide victims. This represents an increase of 7% since 2015. Over 70% of the homicides are by firearm and the motive is commonly a fight or personal revenge.]
El primer semestre de 2016 ha sido el más violento en los últimos 16 años en la Capital, reveló el Observatorio Ciudadano de la Ciudad de México.
Dicho organismo fue certificado ayer por el... (GunPolicy.org)
Weapon Buyback Destroys 328 Guns in Ecatepec, Mexico [ES]
2 October 2016
Jornada (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: In 2 years of the "Firearms Exchange" campaign in Ecatepec, Mexico, 328 rifles and handguns, 59 grenades and 874 cartridges have been exchanged and destroyed .The exchange is voluntary, pacific and anonymous and the State pays an estimate in cash or electronic devices. Every year 400 children die by accidents, suicides and homicides caused by guns, and 72.2% of deaths are caused by firearms among young people.]
A dos años de las campañas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Most of the Seized Firearms in Mexico Come From US [ES]
2 October 2016
La Opinión (USA), EFE News Agency
[Translated Summary: Firearms can easily enter Mexico and be smuggled to Central America; there aren't any control measures on the borders. According to a federal report, by the 31st of July, 2014, 8,540 rifles had been seized and over 70% of these came from the US.]
La llegada de armas de fuego y de dinero negro son dos grandes peligros provenientes de Estados Unidos que impactan a México, fortaleciendo los cárteles de la región y su estela de violencia, y probando... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Customs Reports 276% Increase in Gun Seizures [ES]
30 September 2016
Noticieros Televisa (Mexico)
[Translated summary: The General Director of Mexico's Customs revealed that there was an increase of 276% in firearms seizures compared to last year. Drug seizures also augmented 283%. He also declared that 200 employees resigned or were fired in relation to this.]
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO -- Derivado de mayores alertas y modelos de riesgo, el decomiso de armas y drogas en las aduanas de México aumentó más de 250 por ciento, reveló el director general de Aduanas, Ricardo... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Seeks to Increase Penalty for Firearms Use and Carrying [ES]
29 September 2016
Noticiero Televisa
[Translated Summary: Mexico's secretary of public security, Hiram Aleida, has asked for an increased penalty for using and carrying firearms. In 2015, 628 criminals used a firearm to commit a crime and, due to the current legislation, they were freed in a short time, added the Secretary.]
Durante su comparecencia en la Asamblea Legislativa de la Ciudad de México, el secretario de Seguridad Pública, Hiram Almeida solicitó aumentar la penalidad para el uso y la... (GunPolicy.org)
Armed Robberies Increased 26% in Puebla, Mexico [ES]
28 September 2016
Periodico Central (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Crime decreased by 12.3% in 2015 in Puebla, Mexico, compared to the previous year. However, armed robberies increased by 26.8%. This means that a firearm was used in 113,594 crimes compared to 2014's number of 89,559.]
En 2015 en Puebla ocurrieron un millón 130 mil delitos, 12.3 por ciento menos que en 2014. El total de víctimas fue de 936 mil 258 poblanos, por lo que hubo ciudadanos que sufrieron por la delincuencia en más de una ocasión.
A... (GunPolicy.org)
US the Source of 90% of Guns Smuggled Into Mexico [ES]
27 September 2016
Uni Mexicali (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Authorities from several Mexican states have registered an increase in the seizure of firearms coming from abroad, as informed by the Secretary of Public Security. He said that 90% of seizures, more than 1,600 firearms, are smuggled from the US.]
TIJUANA -- Autoridades no sólo de Baja California, sino de otras entidades del país han registrado un incremento en el
aseguramiento de armas de fuego procedentes del extranjero, informó el secretario... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Central America,Mexico
Latin America Recent Seizures Reveal Thriving Gun Trade [ES]
22 September 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
[Translated summary: A series of recent raids and reports highlights the thriving arms trade in Latin America which continues to disrupt countries and entire regions. For example, a report by Prensa Libre found the 9mm pistol has been the weapon most commonly confiscated by Guatemala's National Police.]
Una serie de redadas e informes recientes ponen de relieve el floreciente negocio de armas en toda Latinoamérica, lo que sirve tanto para beneficio de los grupos... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Central America,South America
Recent Seizures Point to Thriving Latin American Gun Trade
21 September 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
A series of recent raids and reports highlights the thriving arms trade throughout Latin America, which serves to both profit illicit groups and to facilitate criminal violence in the region.
During a recent conference on armed violence in Central America, Ana Yancy Espinoza, academic director of the Costa Rican organization Fundación Arias, presented the results of an investigation on regional arms trafficking.
According to a press release from the Foundation for... (GunPolicy.org)
Six in 10 Mexicans Oppose Having Guns at Home [ES]
17 September 2016
Animal Político (Mexico)
[Translated summary: According to a survey, 6 out of 10 Mexicans are against having firearms at home, up 16% since 2002. More than half of Mexican citizens feel that firearms shouldn't be allowed in any circumstances, 32% want the right to own firearms but not to carry them, and 11% favour both home ownership and wearing hidden handguns.]
La mayoría de los mexicanos está en contra de que se permita tener armas de fuego en casa, revela la encuesta más reciente... (GunPolicy.org)
US 'Floods' Mexico with Guns - Ministry of Foreign Affairs [ES]
14 September 2016
Mi Morelia (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Over 13 million illegal firearms are circulating in Mexico, and 10 million of those are presumed to be in hands of organized crime. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs points out that in four US states on the border with Mexico, there are at least 9,000 legal gun shops and over 23,000 licences to sell them over the Internet and at gun shows.]
La violencia que ha asfixiado al país en los últimos 15 años tiene uno de sus orígenes en la laxitud... (GunPolicy.org)
Central America,Mexico,South America,United States
USA, Stop Enabling Latin America's Gun Addiction - Letter
11 September 2016
Americas Quarterly, Letter
Dear Mister / Madam President,
As the world's largest arms exporter, the U.S. plays an outsize role in fueling Latin America's insatiable addiction to firearms. To take one example, during most of the 1980s, El Salvador was the largest consumer of U.S. military hardware in the Americas, feeding one of the most vicious civil wars in Latin American history. And while the conflict ended in 1992, the legacy of its arms transfers remains: U.S. officials estimate that almost... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,Colombia,Mexico,Venezuela,United States,India,Nigeria,South Africa,El Salvador
World is Far Less Violent: Global Murders Halving in a Decade
7 September 2016
Foreign Affairs (USA)
The world has never been safer than it is right now. Most forms of violence have dropped precipitously over the past few centuries. Although conflict deaths recently spiked (the war in Syria accounts for one third of all war-related killings today), fewer people are dying from warfare than at virtually any time in human history. Terrorist violence also increased over the past two years—especially in six countries the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia—but it still... (GunPolicy.org)
Lax US Gun Laws Fuel Violence in Mexico - Foreign Minister
29 August 2016
Mexidata, InSight Crime (Bogotá)
Mexico's foreign minister has blamed lax US gun control laws for the flood of illegal weapons into the country, in an unusually frank assessment of the impact of US domestic policy on violence and organized crime in Mexico.
Speaking at the Second Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty, Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu said loose gun control laws in the United States have undermined Mexico's own restrictions on gun sales and ownership.
"[Mexico's]... (GunPolicy.org)
24,341 Guns Seized from 'Narcos' in 5 Years in Mexico [ES]
28 August 2016
Milenio (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: In different operations against drug trafficking, US$52.7 million and 148.4 million Mexican pesos in cash have been secured, while 21,341 suspected criminals have been detained. Also, between 1 December 2012 and 31 July 2016, 24,449 firearms -- of which 16,063 are rifles and 8,436 are handguns, -- 2,937 grenades and 3,807,560 cartridges were seized.]
En lo que va del sexenio el Ejército ha golpeado las finanzas, estructura logística y capacidad... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Army Destroys Over 5,000 Firearms in Sinaloa [ES]
25 August 2016
Televisa (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: In Sinaloa, Mexico, 5,204 firearms, 3,293 rifles, 1,911 handguns and 125,000 cartridges (among them 100,000 for AK-47 and AR-15 rifles) were destroyed by Mexican Army as part of a Firearms Exchange campaign. This cache of arms to be destroyed is part of a program to destroy over 20,000 in different parts of the country.]
En las instalaciones de la Novena Zona Militar de la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional en Culiacán, Sinaloa, fueron destruidas... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 40,000 Guns Seized in Mexico in the Past Four Years [ES]
23 August 2016
Milenio (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: According to a Mexican Chancellor, between December 2012 and July 2016, Mexico has seized over 40,000 guns, 23,000 high-calibre guns, 4,000 grenades and 5.6 million ammunition. 70% of these firearms come from American buyers or suppliers, and 60% of them are manufactured in that country. Over the US border there are at least 9,000 legal gun shops and over 23,000 licensed gun dealers who can sell over the internet and fairs, even in... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Asks US Congress to Renew Ban On Assault Weapons
23 August 2016
News X (India)
Mexico's Foreign Minister Claudia Ruiz Massieu has asked the US Congress to restrict the sale of assault weapons as "they cause harm on both sides of the border".
Massieu made this call at the Second Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty of the UN in Geneva, Switzerland, on Monday.
According to a Foreign Ministry statement, Massieu said that Mexico "places the highest priority" on this matter, as the country has suffered from the illegal arms trade,... (GunPolicy.org)
Four Mexican States With Rising Gun Possession Rates [ES]
18 August 2016
E-consulta (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: According to the organization Mexico Evalúa, from 2011 to 2014, firearm possession rose 114% as a measure against violent crime. Between 2012 and 2015, in Puebla, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala and Morelos, 3,688 households bought firearms and 4,051 gun homicides were registered.]
Puebla, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala y Morelos son los estados que tuvieron las mayores tasas en la adquisición de armas de fuego por cada 100 mil hogares de 2012 a 2015, según lo reveló la... (GunPolicy.org)
At Mexico's Lone Gun Store, Even the Boss Discourages Sales
17 August 2016
Times-Union (Florida), Associated Press
MEXICO CITY — There's just one place in all of Mexico where you can legally buy a gun. It's tucked away in an anonymous building on an army base in the capital, staffed by soldiers.
Those who enter must surrender any cellphones, tablets or cameras, remove caps and pass through a metal detector. Weapons are kept in locked glass cases, unlike many of the 50,000-plus U.S. gun shops where used-gun racks on showroom floors allow easy access and clerks are happy to let you... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Counts Another 180,000 Guns Bought, Destroyed [ES]
15 August 2016
Cancun Mio (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Mexico's National Government has launched a new Firearms Exchange 2016 program, where citizens can exchange guns for cash. This program has successfully collected over 180,000 firearms in the present administration. Only in Cozumel in 2015, 4 rifles, 6 handguns and 3,030 different cartridges have been collected.]
El Gobierno Municipal en coordinación con la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (Sedena) a través de la Guarnición Militar, puso en... (GunPolicy.org)
More Guns Acquired Legally by Civilians in Mexican State [ES]
15 August 2016
La Jornada (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: According to a recent study Aguascalientes, Mexico registered an acquisition rate of 799.18 firearms per 100,000 households in 2015. This indicates a surge of 5.55% in comparison with 2014. According to the Federal Registry, there are currently in this state 4,727 licences to own firearms but only for sport and hunting.]
- Crecen mortalidad por arma de fuego en el ámbito estatal
- Ningún civil cuenta con licencia de portación ante la Sedena; hay... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Cartels Infiltrate Australia With Illegal Guns, Drugs
12 August 2016
Sporting Shooters' Association of Australia, Media release
Mexican drug cartels on a mission to expand their networks are actively pursuing once unreachable countries like Australia to peddle illicit drugs and firearms. It sounds like a script for a Hollywood crime thriller but a new report has revealed this is the harsh reality our island nation must face. The findings come as anti-gun lobbyists and Green-leaning politicians continue to criticise theft from licensed owners for contributing to a growing black market, while... (GunPolicy.org)
5,586 Homicides by Firearm in Mexico So Far This Year [ES]
27 July 2016
Milenio (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Mexico's Public Security National System revealed that there were 5,586 homicides this year committed with a firearm, a number that represents 60% of the total. 5,284 of all homicides were linked to organised crime.]
El grupo no gubernamental Semáforo Delictivo reportó que una de cada dos muertes violentas ocurridas durante el primer semestre de 2016 están vinculadas a la delincuencia organizada.
Mexico - Seis de cada 10 homicidios en este... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 1,000 Guns Seized in Operations in Mexican City [ES]
20 July 2016
Excelsior (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Coordination Team in Tamaulipas, MX informed that between the 24th of June to the 14th of July, over 697 rifles, 171 handguns, 117 grenades, 3 rockets, 16 grenade launchers, 227,178 different calibre cartridges and 5,994 clips were seized.]
En el marco de la Estrategia de Seguridad Tamaulipas contra la delincuencia Fuerzas Federales y Estatales aseguraron en 20 días todo un arsenal que incluye cohetes, lanzagranadas, casi mil armas de fuego de... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico City Airport Used as Hub for Gun Smuggling [ES]
17 July 2016
El Universal (Mexico)
[Translated summary: According to a report by the Mexican Federal Police, the Mexico City airport is being used as a hub for firearm smuggling. Between 2015 and the first two months of 2016, 62% of gun and cartridge confiscations were made in flights from Mexico City to other locations. During that period, 539 cartridges and 34 guns were seized.]
Un informe de la PF revela que 62% de los aseguramientos de armas y cartuchos se realizaron en vuelos que partieron de la... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,United States,Central America,Mexico
USA Floods Mexico with 200,000 Illegal Guns Every Year [ES]
17 July 2016
RT (Moscow)
[Translated Summary: According to a Peruvian journalist, the abundance of firearms in any Latin American country is almost always directly proportional to its proximity to the local superpower. In 2014, over 28,000 American firearms valued at US$21.6 million entered legally to Mexico, but every year an average of 212,000 firearms enter illegally.]
En América Latina se registran 76.000 muertes por año vinculadas al uso de armas de fuego. Sobre este total la mayoría... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Buyback Collected 35,000 Firearms in Mexico Region [ES]
5 July 2016
Noroeste (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: Since 2001, 21,200 firearms have been exchanged for money and laptops and 14,000 more have been registered in the Voluntary Firearms Donation and Registration campaigns conducted by the government in Sinaloa, Mexico. The highest donation was recorded in Culiacán, with a total of 4,219. All donated guns are now in the hands of the Mexican Army.]
Desde el 2001, en Sinaloa un total de 21 mil 200 armas han sido donadas y 14 mil más han sido... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Crime Rose More Than 160% Since 2011 in Mexico [ES]
5 July 2016
AM (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Since 2011, over 7,892 crimes with firearms have occurred in Guanajuato, Mexico. Over 11,505 firearms have been registered (6,580 of them are handguns) and 75% of these are in civilian possession. From 2011 to 2015, there has been an increase of 161% in homicides and injuries with firearms.]
Desde 2011 en Guanajuato se han perpetrado un total de siete mil 892 delitos donde se han usado armas de fuego y en el mismo periodo incrementaron más de 160%... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,South America,Argentina,Central America,Mexico
Handgun Trade Worth US$699 Million in Latin America [ES]
30 June 2016
Gestion (Peru)
[Translated Summary: According to a survey by a research team in Geneva, in the past year the three Latin American countries that exported most handguns were Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. The countries that imported most handguns were Mexico, Chile and Colombia. The US was the main buyer.]
La encuesta de armas pequeñas del 2015 reveló cifras de los principales países latinoamericanos exportadores e importadores de armas de fuego autorizadas. La encuesta fue... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Sale to Mexico Increase Human Rights Violations [ES]
27 June 2016
Hoy Los Angeles (California)
[Translated Summary: According to the NGO American Friends Service Committee, the sale of guns from the US to Mexico increases Human Rights violations and homicides. In 2009/2010 alone, the volume of the total business -- public and private -- rose to $1.2 billion, and in the next two years the deaths exceeded 25,000.]
La venta de armas del Gobierno de EE.UU. a su homólogo de México, sumado a una falta de control sobre su posterior uso y fin, repercute en un aumento... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than Eight Thousand Gun Deaths in Mexico in 2016 [ES]
26 June 2016
Telesurtv (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: According to the data from the Secretary of Government, in this year, there have been 8,469 violent deaths with firearms of which 7,734 were investigated. Data also revealed that the current year has the highest homicide rate during Peña Nieto's mandate.]
En lo que va de 2016 ocurrieron en ese país 8 mil 469 muertes violentas con armas de fuego, de las cuales mil 891 se registraron en mayo.
La violencia registrada durante el Gobierno de Enrique... (GunPolicy.org)
In One State, 53,000 Homes Have a Handgun in Mexico [ES]
23 June 2016
Puebla Online (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Despite a decrease in the purchase of arms, more than 53,000 households in one of Mexico's states still own handguns. The data comes from a study that considered legally purchased guns since 2012 in the whole country.]
La adquisición de armas de fuego en hogares poblanos como herramienta de autoprotección ha ido a la baja en los últimos años, según reveló el estudio "Compra de armas MX" realizado por el centro de estudios México Evalúa, no... (GunPolicy.org)
Surge in US Firearm Sales Increased Trafficking to Mexico [ES]
22 June 2016
Noticieros Televisa (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: The surge in the sale of guns in Texas increased firearms trafficking to Mexico. According to Customs and Border Protection, in the last five years, 283 firearms and at least 5,000 bullets of numerous calibres have been confiscated in the US/Mexico border areas.]
En el estado de Texas, en Estados Unidos, la venta de armas sigue en aumento y más cuando en unas semanas, entrará en vigor una nueva ley donde, además de portar armas, se podrá... (GunPolicy.org)
Voluntary Disarmament in Mexico Traded 1,517 Guns [ES]
22 June 2016
Noticieros Televisa (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: As part of the "For your family, Voluntary Disarmament" program, from January to June of 2016, the Public Safety Office collected 1,517 firearms, 815 of which were handguns and 712 were rifles. 298 grenades and 24,087 cartridges were also recovered. These firearms were exchanged for money, home appliances and tablets.]
Como parte del programa "Por tu Familia, Desarme Voluntario", de enero a junio del presente año la Secretaría de Seguridad... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico's Public Security Forces Lost 13,000 Guns in 10 Years
7 June 2016
InSight Crime (Bogotá)
Nearly 13,000 guns have been lost or stolen from Mexico's public security agencies over the last ten years, according to a recent report, a telling reminder that the country's black market weapons don't just come from north of the border.
The majority of the 12,878 weapons that went missing or were stolen during that period disappeared in Mexico City, Mexico State, Chihuahua, Guerrero and Jalisco, according to documents from Mexico's National Institute of Transparency,... (GunPolicy.org)
56% of Homicides Committed with Guns in Jalisco, Mexico [ES]
17 May 2016
Unión Jalisco (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Numbers from the Institute of Forensics Science in Jalisco, Mexico, indicate that 56% of the homicides committed during 2015 were perpetrated with a firearm.]
En 681 asesinatos se utilizaron armas de fuego como pistolas y rifles de alto poder.
Poco más de cinco de cada diez asesinatos que se cometieron en Jalisco durante el año 2015 se utilizaron armas de fuego.
Cifras del Instituto Jalisciense de Ciencias Forenses (IJCF) muestran que en el... (GunPolicy.org)
2,366 Guns Destroyed in Michoacán, Mexico, 2010-14 [ES]
26 April 2016
Cambio de Michoacán (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Between 2010 and 2014 2,366 firearms, 80 grenades and 77,080 cartridges were destroyed in a buyback campaign in Michoacán, Mexico. However, between 2011 and 2015, 42,069 arms were registered in the same region.]
MICHOACAN - En el periodo 2010-2014 fueron destruidas en Michoacán dos mil 366 armas de fuego (mil 549 cortas y 817 largas), 80 granadas de fragmentación y 77 mil 080 cartuchos, obtenidos por la Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico: 75,000 Guns Surrendered and Destroyed [ES]
11 April 2016
Plano Informativo (Mexico)
[Translated summary: More than 75,000 firearms have been surrendered by civilians to the Ministry of National Defence (SEDENA), in coordination with States' Governors, private initiatives, in the framework of the Federal Act on Firearms and Explosives. These firearms were immediately destroyed.]
De 2013 a la fecha, tan sólo en San Luis Potosí, se han retirado 524 armas de fuego.
San Luis Potosí -- Más de 75 mil armas de fuego han sido retiradas y canjeadas a la... (GunPolicy.org)
El Salvador,Honduras,South America,Mexico,Venezuela,Central America
Different Approach to Reduce Violence in Latin America
29 March 2016
Americas Quarterly, Opinion
Reducing violence is not about controlling violent neighborhoods or even about controlling violent people. It is about inducing people to control themselves. That's it. The best policing comes when no police are required.
The question is how to achieve this in Latin America, the most violent region in the world and home to countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela, each with homicide rates similar to war zones.
The answer may be unsettling. Many instances of... (GunPolicy.org)
US-Mexico Gun Smuggling Ring Busted in Arizona
25 March 2016
Albuquerque Journal (USA) / AP
TUCSON — Federal authorities say they've busted a firearms trafficking ring that tried to smuggle weapons and ammunition from Arizona to Mexico.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it worked with another federal law enforcement agency and has identified 21 suspects in the southern Arizona ring.
Authorities arrested 19 of the suspects in the past week and are looking for the rest of them.
The investigation began last year after the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol,... (GunPolicy.org)
More US 'Fast and Furious' Guns Found at Mexico Massacre
17 March 2016
InSight Crime
Weapons linked to the controversial US anti-gun trafficking operation "Fast
and Furious" were found last spring at the scene of a bloody clash between Mexican police and a group of alleged cartel gunmen that left 43 dead, according to documents obtained exclusively by InSight Crime.
The previously unpublished documents, obtained through a freedom of information request, show how US and Mexican authorities traced weapons from the shootout in Michoacán to the now... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Honduras,Finland,Philippines,Thailand,United Kingdom
US Gun Smugglers Illegally Sent Firearms to 46 Countries
16 March 2016
Washington Post
Arms trafficking from within the United States, long thought to be relegated to gun-running for Mexican drug cartels, is far more extensive than previously thought, according to a new report by a weapons research group released Wednesday.
The report, published by the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, examines more than 150 court cases involving arms trafficking from within the United States from 2010-2015. Spanning 46 countries and six continents, the report details... (GunPolicy.org)
German MPs Query Germany-Mexico Gun Trafficking [ES]
1 March 2016
El Universal (Mexico)
[Translated summary: German Members of Parliament ask the Mexican government to clarify Heckler & Koch gun trafficking from Germany to Mexico, with possible links to a mass shooting of 43 students.]
Diputados alemanes pidieron al gobierno mexicano que aclare el probable tráfico de armas germanas que se han usado en conflictos dentro del país, como fue el caso de la agresión y desaparición forzada de los 43 normalistas de Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, en septiembre de 2014,... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,United States,Africa,Americas,Asia,Oceania,Europe
The Mechanics of Gun Trafficking from the United States
1 March 2016
Small Arms Survey (Geneva)
When one thinks of arms traffickers, the image that often comes to mind is of the stereotypical 'Merchant of Death' – ambitious, well-connected, globetrotting entrepreneurs who single-handedly arm warlords and insurgents across the world. While there is some truth to the stereotype, most illicit arms traffickers do not fit this profile.
The latest Issue Brief from the Small Arms Survey—Dribs and Drabs: The Mechanics of Small Arms Trafficking from the United... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico's Gun Dealers Are Unfazed by Obama
26 February 2016
Global Post (Boston)
MEXICO CITY — Javier scoots onto a plastic stool in a courtyard. He reaches beneath his shirt and pulls out a shiny Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol. He deftly spins it through his hands, ejects the magazine, and holds it out for inspection.
"This one's new, straight from its packaging," he says.
It will cost 15,000 pesos with a box of ammo, around $810.
Javier, who only gave his first name, operates this illicit little gun mart in Tepito market, a famed... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Venezuela,Brazil,United States,Spain,France
Mexico Weapons Imports Increased 331% since 2011
23 February 2016
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Mexico's arms imports grew by 331 percent over the last five years, compared to 2006-2010, raising more concerns over the government's reluctance to scale back the militarization of the drug war.
The report (pdf), compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), notes that arms imports to the Americas decreased by 6 percent from 2011-2015 versus 2006-2010. Despite this, Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil all saw a rise in imports.
According to... (GunPolicy.org)
New Report on Firearms Trafficking from US to Mexico
11 January 2016
US House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs - Democrats, Media release
WASHINGTON -- Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today welcomed the release of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report he commissioned on U.S. efforts to halt illegal firearms trafficking to Mexico. Representative Engel requested the report in May 2014.
"With at least 70 percent of firearms recovered at Mexican crime scenes coming from the United States, our Congress has a responsibility to do much more to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: US House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs - Democrats
Argentina,Canada,Mexico,Australia,United Kingdom,Russia,China,South Africa,United States,Israel,Norway,Finland,Germany,Switzerland
Three European Countries Lead US in Mass Shootings: WSJ
3 October 2015
Wall Street Journal
The latest U.S. shooting that ended in the deaths of 10 people at an Oregon college last week is reigniting calls for tighter gun laws and prompting comparisons to gun violence in other countries.
President Barack Obama asked why Americans can't follow the example of the U.K. and Australia. They crafted laws that "almost eliminate mass shootings," he said. "We know there are ways to prevent it."
Adam Lankford, an associate professor at the University of Alabama... (GunPolicy.org)
Nicaragua,Peru,Haiti,Dominican Republic,Cuba,Mexico,Honduras,Guatemala,Turkey,El Salvador,United States,Russia,Austria,Belgium,Colombia,Brazil,Czech Republic,Germany,Israel,Venezuela,Italy,Spain
16 January 2015
Los Angeles Times, Opinion
During the 1980s, El Salvador was the single largest recipient of U.S. military hardware and weaponry in the Western Hemisphere. Although the Central American country's civil war ended in 1992, the guns, grenades and bullets linger, as do their murderous effects. In September, a U.S. official from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimated that half the weapons available on El Salvador's vibrant black market were made in the United... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,Central America,Caribbean,Cuba,United States,Russia,Nicaragua,Israel,El Salvador,Honduras,Europe,Belgium,Czech Republic,Germany,Italy,South Africa,Spain,Colombia,Mexico,Venezuela,Brazil,Argentina,Chile,Paraguay,Panama,Ecuador
Small Arms Trade a 'Dramatic Threat' to Latin America
13 October 2014
NACLA
Small arms and gun violence present the most dramatic threat to public safety in Latin America and the Caribbean. After decades of uncontrolled proliferation, at least 45 million to 80 million small arms and light weapons—that is, weapons operated by an individual or small group, including handguns, assault rifles, grenades, grenade launchers, and even man portable surface to air missiles—are circulating throughout the region.(1) Gunshots kill between 73,000 and... (GunPolicy.org)
Study: Most Guns Seized in 8 US Cities are Handguns, Not Assault Rifles
16 June 2014
Reuters
Most of the guns seized from gang members, felons and drug traffickers in eight U.S. cities over a decade were handguns, not the automatic assault rifles often depicted in Hollywood crime stories, according to a study published on Monday.
In the sample of 10,435 weapons seized by police in cities that included Los Angeles and Washington, 77 percent were handguns, and seven out of 10 of those were semi-automatic, according to the Geneva-based research project Small Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
The Best Reporting on Guns in America – A Collection from ProPublica
28 May 2014
ProPublica
Are Mass Shootings Increasing? Depends on How You Count Them
Criminologists have made the same point again and again: the number of mass shootings in America is not increasing. Experts told the Los Angeles Times that mass shootings represent only a small fraction of the annual deaths due to gun violence, and that police data indicate that the overall count of mass shootings per year has not shown any significant increase over time. This conclusion is based on the FBI's... (GunPolicy.org)
We Need Better Data for a Serious Gun Control Debate in America
27 May 2014
Huffington Post (USA), Blog
Even before the massacre of six people in Santa Barbara had reached its bloody conclusion, the Great American Gun debate was taking shape. Some headlines described a deranged lunatic intent on retribution against women. Others honed in on the premeditated nature of the killing spree and argued that better armed civilians could have prevented the carnage. Still more highlighted how access to a semi-automatic pistol dramatically increased the number of dead and injured.... (GunPolicy.org)
Chicago Teen Girl Guns Down Rival in Facebook Dispute Over Boy
29 April 2014
New York Daily News
Another virtual diss has turned into a real-life tragedy.
A Facebook feud between two 14-year-old girls over a boy ended when one gunned down the other on a Southside Chicago porch in broad daylight Monday afternoon, police said.
The unnamed teen perp, who has been charged with murder as a juvenile, whipped out a stolen .38-caliber handgun about 4:50 p.m. and tried to shoot into a crowd of people. The gun jammed and the girl handed it to someone else, who cleared the... (GunPolicy.org)
Something Doesn't Add Up as Mexican Gun Homicide Rate Stays Steady
11 April 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota) / Animal Politico
The government of Mexico's declarations of a dramatic reduction in homicides linked to organized crime does not correspond with the figures produced by the National System of Public Security. Someone is counting poorly.
Michoacan in flames. The State of Mexico in crisis. Kidnappings at historic levels. Extortion at epidemic levels.
But, good, homicides have diminished. That is what the government brags about with the least provocation. On February 21, Interior... (GunPolicy.org)
Two Days of Gunfights Leave 24 Dead in Mexico's North
8 April 2014
New Straits Times (Malaysia)
MEXICO CITY - The death toll from two days of gunfights in Mexico's northern state of Tamaulipas rose to 24 on Monday after authorities reported six more slayings in the drug violence-plagued region.
Authorities said 15 men and two women were killed on Sunday in a series of shootings between criminal groups in the towns of Tampico and Ciudad Madero, on the Gulf of Mexico coast.
A man's body was found on a bench and two others on a street in Tampico early Monday,... (GunPolicy.org)
Increasing Rate of Gun Ownership in Mexico
7 April 2014
Frontera NorteSur / Mexidata
More Mexicans are acquiring arms to defend their families and property. According to a university researcher, the number of firearms legally possessed in Mexico increased 53 percent from 2009 to 2012, jumping from 2,033,749 to 3,118,592 guns.
Ernesto Villanueva, a researcher for the National Autonomous University of Mexico's Institute of Legal Research, based his findings on data from the Mexican Defense Ministry (Sedena), which is in charge of registering firearms.... (GunPolicy.org)
Peru,Colombia,Jordan,Mexico,Guatemala,Honduras,Uruguay,Argentina,Brazil
Gun Thefts From Peru Army Supplies Points to Possible Corruption, Trafficking
3 April 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Authorities in Peru say the majority of arms used by criminal groups are stolen from private owners and security forces, highlighting a common regional phenomenon that is often facilitated by corrupt officials.
Specialists consulted by El Comercio said the majority of pistols and shotguns used by criminal groups in Peru were stolen from legitimate owners, rather than acquired through the black market. Authorities reported that 1,767 firearms were declared lost or... (GunPolicy.org)
Firearms Industry Benefits from America's Epidemic of Gun Violence
10 March 2014
Baltimore Post Examiner
America is a violent place by any standard. The national firearm-related death rate has held steady at 10.5 per 100,000 people since 1999, well above the global average. Some of its cities exhibit epidemic rates of gun death on par with crime-affected urban centers in Latin America and the Caribbean. Hard as it might be to believe, levels of lethal violence are actually at historic lows.
Declines occurred after the passage of specific legislation designed to prevent... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,United States,Cambodia,Liberia,Mexico,Mozambique
Melding Guns Into Weapons of Mass Attraction – Global Picture Gallery
6 March 2014
Guardian (UK)
Art of War - Picture gallery captions:
Non-Violence, or the Knotted Gun, by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd. The bronze replica of a 45-calibre revolver, a gift from Luxembourg to the United Nations, was sculpted in memory of the Swedish artist's longtime friend John Lennon. Though not created from recycled munitions, the sculpture has been cited as one of the inspirations behind the arms-to-art movement.
Sculptor Gonçalo Mabunda recycles weapons recovered from... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Peru,Argentina,Mexico,El Salvador
Investigation Shows Colombia Military-Criminal Firearms Trafficking Ties
4 March 2014
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Prosecutors in Colombia have issued a warrant for a high-ranking army official who stands accused of leading a ring that sold military weapons to narco-paramilitary group the Urabeños, highlighting a common source of weapons for armed groups across the region.
Lieutenant Colonel Robinson Gonzalez del Rio led a group of four active members of the military, four retired members, two police and several private citizens that acquired guns, munitions and explosives for... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Colombia,United States,Libya,Georgia,Russia,Mexico
Banned German Firearms Being Sold in Colombia
1 March 2014
Deutsche Welle
German law prohibits the export of weapons to crisis or conflict regions. But guns sporting the label "Made in Germany" are being sold in war-torn Colombia. Manufacturers have denied any involvement in illegal exports.
A person who wants to buy a gun legally in Colombia must be at least 25 years old, provide proof of income and a gun license and possess no criminal record. The arms trade in the South American country is a state monopoly run by the weapons manufacturer... (GunPolicy.org)
Outlaw California Gun Shop Made, Sold Unmarked Machine-Guns
28 February 2014
Reuters
Two Mexican nationals were indicted on Thursday on charges of running an outlaw weapons-supply shop in northern California that assembled and sold unmarked, illegal firearms and accessories, including machine-guns and silencers.
A federal grand jury in Sacramento indicted brothers Luis Cortez-Garcia, 44, and Emiliano Cortez-Garcia, 37, on one count each of unlawful manufacturing and sales of firearms, conspiracy to unlawfully manufacture and sell firearms and multiple... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Africa,Americas,Europe,Asia,Mexico
Oberndorf: The Tiny German Town that Armed the World
25 February 2014
Guardian (UK)
The town of Oberndorf should look a lot nicer. Nature offered plenty of blessings. Its 14,000 inhabitants live sheltered in the green and rocky Neckar valley, where the narrow, sparkling river Neckar grooves its way through the Black Forest in one of Germany's most picturesque corners. This is the heart of Baden-Württemberg: tranquil and prosperous, the sunniest and warmest part of Germany. Yet Oberndorf's town centre doesn't include the cobbled square lined with... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal Firearm Sales Rose Over 300% in Mexico Between 2006 - 2012 [ES]
10 February 2014
El Financiero (Mexico)
[Translated summary: The sale of firearms in Mexico increased by 331% between 2006 and 2012 according to a report, a trend which continued in 2013. On average 41 people legally purchase a gun in Mexico each day. Most purchases are legal, where citizens must get a licence, pay the fee and pass the background checks.]
La venta de armas de fuego (cortas y largas) para protección personal y de domicilio que comercializa legalmente el gobierno federal se incrementó 331... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Policy No Longer Domestic as Weapons are Smuggled to Mexico
1 February 2014
National Catholic Reporter (Kansas City)
Mexico, a state with highly restrictive gun laws, minimal arms manufacturing, and only one gun shop in the entire country, is awash in firearms, many of them from the United States. A study published last year by the Trans-Border Institute at the University of San Diego estimates that upward to a quarter-million weapons are purchased in the U.S. and smuggled into Mexico annually.
Amid the hyperviolence of Mexico's war on drugs, this southward flow of illicit arms has... (GunPolicy.org)
Netherlands,Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,United States,Belgium,Iraq,Algeria,Bahrain,Egypt,Mexico,Pakistan,Canada
Canada Increases Gun Exports to Countries with 'Dubious' Human Rights
8 December 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Bahrain, Algeria and Iraq, countries with dubious human rights records or a history of violent internal conflict, have recently become new buyers of Canadian-made guns and ammunition, an analysis of federal data shows.
The analysis by The Canadian Press found that Canadian exports to those countries swelled by 100 per cent from 2011 to 2012, the most recent figures publicly available.
During the same time period, exports of Canadian weapons also increased... (GunPolicy.org)
36% of Crimes in Mexican State Involve Guns [ES]
19 November 2013
Milenio (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Almost 36% of crimes committed in the Puebla state of Mexico involve firearms, according to the National Survey on Victimization and Perception of Public Safety 2013 (ENVIPE). This rate is lower than the national rate of around 44%, however citizens in this state feel increasingly insecure.]
PUEBLA - En el estado, la tasa de víctimas de la delincuencia es de 22 mil 733 por cada 100 mil personas mientras que el 35.9 por ciento de los delitos se... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras Won't Debate Gun Control Despite Being World's 'Murder Capital'
19 November 2013
New Republic (USA)
TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Nearly everyone in Honduras blames drug trafficking for the Central American country's unfortunate distinction of having the world's highest homicide rate - over 91 per 100,000. But in the same breath, nearly everyone in Honduras will also admit, just days away from a landmark general election, that the proliferation of firearms plays a key role in the tragic triumvirate of corruption, trafficking, and violence that's increased here over the... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Costa Rica,Caribbean,South America,Central America
Costa Rica Looks to Gun Control as Homicides Hit 'Epidemic' Levels in S America
13 November 2013
Tico Times (Costa Rica)
In most of Latin America homicide rates have exceeded 10 per 100,000 inhabitants, a rate that the World Health Organization considers "epidemic," according to a new report released Tuesday by the United Nations Development Program for Latin America.
The report came out one day before police leaders from 27 different countries across the Americas, including the United States, gathered in San José for the American Community of Police's (AMERIPOL) annual meeting to share... (GunPolicy.org)
13 Dead After Shootings on US-Mexico Border, Crime Groups Blamed
4 November 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota) / BBC
At least 13 people have been killed in three separate gun battles in the Mexican border city of Matamoros, in what could be the first sign of a predicted upsurge in violence following the July capture of the Zetas leader Miguel Angel Treviño, alias "Z40."
In the first of three clashes, which all took place on November 3, two armed groups thought to be from rival criminal organizations, opened fire on each other on the main highway from Matamoros to the city of Reynosa... (GunPolicy.org)
ATF Head Still Boxed in by Politics, Low Resources in America
6 October 2013
Minnesota Public Radio / Associated Press
WASHINGTON - When President Barack Obama picked B. Todd Jones to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, it looked like the moment had arrived when the beleaguered ATF would reassert itself as an agency with teeth.
It was January, and the nation was embroiled in a rare debate on gun control, the result of the massacre at a Connecticut elementary school the previous month. The White House pushed for tougher gun laws and Congress seemed unusually... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Artist Makes Music Out of Seized Guns
13 September 2013
Opposing Views (Los Angeles), Video
The sound of a firearm can be one of the most unsettling, terrifying sounds in the world. One Mexican artist is aiming to change that. He is taking weapons and using them to make sweet music.
Pedro Reyes has done several installations in which he takes weapons seized by Mexican authorities, turns them into instruments and has people play music with them.
Reyes and his team take different firearms seized from drug cartels in Mexico, and turn them into instruments... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Drug Cartel Leader's Assault Rifle Traced to US Felon Gun Seller
12 September 2013
San Antonio Express-News (Texas)
An assault rifle seized during the July arrest of one of Mexico's most violent drug lords — Miguel Angel "Z-40" Treviño Morales — has been traced to a shady gun seller whose Spring Branch home was searched last week and netted what authorities said was a "small arsenal."
More than 10,000 rounds of ammunition, 76 guns and $15,000 in cash were seized from Manuel "Manny" Rodriguez, 65, who was sentenced in 2002 to 47 months in the federal penitentiary after being... (GunPolicy.org)
Russia,Trinidad & Tobago,Caribbean,Nicaragua,United States,Canada,Guinea-Bissau,Libya,Mexico,Colombia
Small Arms: The Worldwide Scourge
8 September 2013
Newsday (Trinidad & Tobago)
Trinidad and Tobago is awash with guns. Gang leaders, bandits, drug smugglers are armed and shooting at each other, at citizens, at the police without hesitation. The majority of the weapons are small arms and they are usually "imported" with illegal drugs or there is an exchange of drugs for arms. Drug cartels use their illicit profits to purchase these guns, the two trades being intertwined, according to the latest report from the United Nations Office for Disarmament... (GunPolicy.org)
Brazil,Mexico,South America,Central America,Uruguay,Honduras,Chile,Venezuela,Colombia
Do Stricter Gun Laws Reduce Gun Violence in Latin America?
4 September 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Latin America has some of the highest gun homicide rates in the world, despite certain countries having relatively strict gun control laws, raising the question: to what extent, if any, does tighter legislation help to lower homicide rates and violent crime in the region?
The short answer to this question is that there is no clear correlation. A look at six countries with widely differing gun legislation and gun homicide statistics - Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela,... (GunPolicy.org)
South America,United States,Mexico,Central America,Caribbean,Brazil
Lax US Gun Laws Blamed for Worsening Latin American Violence
31 July 2013
Los Angeles Times
Lax U.S. gun regulations are enabling the international trafficking of high-powered weapons and fueling the spread of gun violence in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Council on Foreign Relations argues in a report urging President Obama to take action on initiatives that have foundered in Congress.
More than 70% of the 99,000 weapons recovered by Mexican law enforcement since 2007 were traced to U.S. manufacturers and importers, the council report said, citing... (GunPolicy.org)
Trade in Iron and Blood: Impact of American Guns on Mexican Violence
30 July 2013
Action on Armed Violence
For all the news and emotion surrounding the debate over mass-shootings and gun-control within the United States, another related tragedy has been unfolding simultaneously just across the border. But, unlike in the US, this tragedy has much greater bloodshed and much less media attention.
Since 2006, tens of thousands of people have been killed in Mexico in drug-related violence. The numbers dead are similar to a conventional war. But, in contrast to other conflicts... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican State Launches 2013 Gun Buyback Scheme after 2012 Success
19 June 2013
News (Mexico)
The Department of Public Safety began their 2013 Gun Buyback Campaign on Monday in four Sonora municipalities. Food vouchers were offered in exchange for guns. Public Safety chief Sergio Encinas Meléndrez said that the campaign will remove guns from Sonora homes and avoid fatal accidents.
During the 2012 buyback, the state government offered a maximum of 1000 pesos ($78) per gun and collected a total of 1,247 firearms. This year, the amount increases to 2,500 pesos... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Catholic Church Collects Almost 5,500 Guns in Five Months
12 June 2013
Hispanically Speaking News (Chicago)
In the first five months of 2013 Mexico City authorities have collected nearly 5,500 firearms. Though the number is small in comparison to the weapons that are illegally on the streets of Mexico City, it is in fact more weapons (5,433) that have been voluntarily collected in the four previous years.
The gun collection program is a great success in great part due to the Catholic Church in Mexico City which helps collect guns and get the word out about the program. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Study Indicates 50% of US Dealers Depend on Guns Smuggled to Mexico
6 June 2013
ThinkProgress (USA), Blog
A recent study not only confirms the claim that many of the guns used in the ongoing violence in Mexico are from the United States, but finds that some U.S. gun dealers depend on this illegal gun running to stay afloat.
Researchers at the University of San Diego's Trans-Border Institute and Brazil's Igarapé Institute put together a groundbreaking model to determine why Mexico, which possesses some of the toughest gun laws in the world, is so awash in firearms. In... (GunPolicy.org)
US Allows Tracing of Bulk Semi-Automatic Gun Sales to Mexican Gangs
31 May 2013
Reuters
A federal regulation aimed at detecting bulk sales of semi-automatic rifles to Mexican drug gangs was upheld Friday by an U.S. appeals court.
A unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the Obama administration acted within its authority to adopt the 2011 rule, which affects firearms sellers in states bordering Mexico.
The Gun Control Act of 1968 "unambiguously authorizes" the rule, and it is unrealistic to argue, as gun... (GunPolicy.org)
Saudi Arabia,Libya,Mexico,Germany
Weapons Exports Reveal Faults in German System
30 May 2013
Deutsche Welle
Germany prides itself on having "strict, even restrictive regulations" for the export of weapons of war. All the same, German weapons regularly show up in regions they should not be in.
For years, every single government coalition in Germany has stated that the country has particularly strict regulations for sales of weapons of war to foreign countries. Regularly, however, weapons used abroad but "made in Germany" get into the news. People are outraged when assault... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Guatemala
Report Traces Arms Trafficking from US to Guatemala
8 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new report sheds light on a little-studied subject: the trafficking of US weapons into Guatemala, a relatively limited phenomenon that could be far bigger than suggested by the available data and may play a role in the continuing violence and criminality in that Central American nation.
The report (pdf), from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, reviews an analysis that the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted of... (GunPolicy.org)
German Arms Firm Illegally Sold Weapons to Mexico
7 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A German arms manufacturer has admitted to illegally selling thousands of rifles to Mexico, where the weapons were reportedly used to commit human rights violations.
Heckler & Koch, which produces weapons such as pistols, machine guns, and grenade launchers, is under investigation by German authorities for exporting G36 rifles to several Mexican states where Germany prohibits gun sales, due to human rights concerns.
The company previously claimed it had only ever... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Hails Drop in Drug Killings but Day Brings More of the Same
11 April 2013
Guardian (UK)
At least 14 people have died in a series of clashes between gunmen and federal police in Mexico, just as the government announced a 14% drop in drug-related killings.
The deaths took place in Michoacan state, a western area that has seen a surge of violence in recent years attributed to drug cartels.
Federal police said in a statement the first gun battle began when officers aboard a helicopter spotted armed men traveling in four vehicles in the town of Gabriel... (GunPolicy.org)
Gun Running into Mexico on the Rise as US Admits Lack of Data on Guns
4 April 2013
San Marco Mercury
As the gun control debate swirls around issues like background checks and mental health, a new study reveals that gun running into Mexico remains a large-scale problem.
In their report, titled "The Way of the Gun," researchers at the University of San Diego's Trans-Border Institute estimated that as many as 253,000 firearms were purchased in the United States from 2010 to 2012 for the sole purpose of being trafficked across the border into Mexico. The figure is nearly... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,Mexico,United Kingdom,Ghana,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Arms Trade Treaty Talks Enter Stormy Final Round
26 March 2013
Rappler / Agence France Presse
More than 100 countries complained Monday that talks on a conventional arms trade treaty had gone "backwards" from a vow to conclude a strong accord on the $80 billion a year trade.
The major western powers, who expressed confidence that an accord could be reached, face tough criticism over the treaty as talks at the UN headquarters entered the final straight.
A group representing 103 countries blasted the latest text as a step "backwards."
A statement by the 103,... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Gun Trafficking Benefits Nearly 50% US Dealers - Study
20 March 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A new study found that nearly half of United States firearms dealers are economically dependent on demand from Mexico, while under 15 percent of illicitly trafficked arms are seized at the border, highlighting the US role in Mexican gun violence.
The study, titled "The Way of the Gun: Estimating Firearms Traffic Across the U.S.-Mexico Border," aimed to quantify the US role in feeding Mexico's gun violence, which continues to rise despite tight gun control policies and... (GunPolicy.org)
Germany,United Kingdom,France,Mexico,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,China,Russia,United States
Armed Violence Kills 66,000 Women and Girls Each Year
20 March 2013
New Zealand Herald, Associated Press
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has urged the world's nations to agree on a strong UN treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar global arms trade in the next two weeks, saying it will save lives and make it more difficult for warlords, organised criminals and terrorists to obtain weapons.
Hopes of reaching agreement on what would be a landmark treaty were dashed last July when the United States said it needed more time to consider the proposed accord - a... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 250,000 Guns a Year Illegally Smuggled into Mexico - Study
19 March 2013
Fox News Latino
The Fast and Furious gun-running scandal that continues to haunt the U.S. Department of Justice highlighted a frightening fact: Illegal firearms are flowing into Mexico from the U.S. at an alarming rate.
More than two percent of all firearms bought in the United States -- about 253,000 -- end up south of the border, up from 1.75 percent in 1990, according to a binational report by the Trans-Border Institute in San Diego and the Igarape Institute, a research center in... (GunPolicy.org)
Sandy Hook Shooting May Make Almost No Difference in US Gun Control Laws
11 March 2013
Time (USA)
Here's a hard truth: all the emotion and outrage and sadness that followed the Dec. 14 shooting of 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook elementary school may make almost no difference in federal gun control laws. How little is the Hill going to do on gun control? As things stand, Congress may not even pass two gun control measures that even some elements of the powerful gun lobby have suggested they could support. But if post-Sandy Hook gun control measures are badly... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Guatemala,Mexico
US Alone in 'Right to Bear Arms' Gun Rights Exceptionalism
7 March 2013
Bloomberg (USA)
What do Guatemala, Mexico and the U.S. have in common? They are among the very few countries throughout history whose constitutions have guaranteed the right to bear arms.
Our study of constitutions going back to 1789 shows that only a minority has ever included gun rights. What's more, the number has dwindled, leaving a small and motley set of bedfellows.
For some, this lonely position is enough to suggest that the U.S. should rethink the current interpretation of... (GunPolicy.org)
Finland,United States,European Union,Germany,Switzerland,Russia,South Africa,Mexico
Registry Shows Germans Fourth in World for Guns
17 February 2013
Local (Germany)
Figures compiled for Germany's new National Weapons Registry reveal that there are 5.4 million legally owned guns in the country, making it the world's fourth most-armed nation per capita.
Der Spiegel magazine reported on Sunday that the state of Bavaria topped the list with 1.1 million, followed by North Rhine-Westphalia with 1 million and Baden-Württemberg with 700,000.
The new national gun register bundles together the data from over 500 local authorities, which... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Artist Turns Guns Into Musical Instruments
13 February 2013
New York Times / Associated Press
MEXICO CITY — The guns that have caused so many deaths in northern Mexico are now making music.
Mechanical hammers ping against ammunition magazines from assault rifles. Gun barrels cut to different lengths ring like marimbas. Pistol parts strike metal plates, like cymbals, to create rhythmic, syncopated sounds.
"It's important to consider that many lives were taken with these weapons, as if a sort of exorcism was taking place," sculptor Pedro Reyes said in a... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexicans Swap Over 3,000 Guns for Computers, Bikes in Amnesty
6 February 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Mexico City authorities have received over 3,000 firearms in exchange for cash, bicycles, tablet computers and other goods, in new amnesty program aimed at tackling gun crime.
The program, "For your family, voluntarily disarmament" (Por tu familia, desarme voluntario), has been running in three of Mexico City's 16 districts for the last two months. El Capitalino reports that government officials associated with the program have visited nearly half a million homes in... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Puerto Rico,Dominican Republic
El Salvador's Inadequate Port Security Increases Gun Availability
23 January 2013
Huffington Post (USA) / Voxxi
The Dominican Republic continues to be the main command center for drug trafficking in the Caribbean region, with an increase in the past two years of 800 percent of the cocaine to United States and Europe.
According to the European Union's COPOLAD Program (drug partnership cooperation program between the European Union and Latin America), the lack of control and technological resources of the Dominican ports Multimodal Caucedo and Haina pose a major threat to the... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Venezuela
The Impact of Obama's Gun Control Proposal in Mexico
23 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
President Obama's push to enact stronger gun control measures answers a long-held wish from Mexican officials, but how likely is it to change the security dynamic south of the Rio Grande?
President Obama announced a new push to pass legislation limiting access to deadly weapons last week, adding, "I will put everything I've got into this." The proposal encompasses 23 executive orders, three of which Obama has already signed and went into effect immediately: an end to... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Peru,Ecuador,United States
Criminals Used Mexican Postal Service to Move Drugs, Guns
23 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Revelations over how criminal groups used Mexico's public postal service to transport drugs, guns and contraband have highlighted the need for authorities to tighten the country's postal inspection regime.
In an interview with El Economista, ex-Sepomex Director Purificacion Carpinteyra described how criminals transported illicit goods in trucks bearing the Sepomex logo and even earned genuine Sepomex contracts through offering discount or even free transportation... (GunPolicy.org)
Colombia,Venezuela,Mexico,Chile,Brazil,Argentina
Gun Laws in Six Latin American Nations Explained
11 January 2013
Americas Society/Council of the Americas
Following a mass school shooting in Connecticut in December 2012, policymakers in the United States began engaging in a renewed debate about gun control. AS/COA Online looks at gun-related legislation in Latin America's six largest economies, identifying regulations for arms licensing. In Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela, gun possession is legal for civilians, though restrictions tend to be stringent. …
Argentina: Gun ownership in Argentina... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Russia,China,Mexico
Mexico's Gun Problems Go Beyond Drug Wars
11 January 2013
Inter Press Service News Agency
MEXICO CITY - A lot of attention goes to the U.S.-made weapons in the hands of criminal groups in this Latin American country. But there is little talk of another problem: the large number of light weapons in the hands of civilians.
The Mexican Constitution establishes the people's right to "own guns in their homes for their safety and self-defence", with the exception of high caliber weapons, while the 1972 Federal Law on Firearms and Explosives stipulates the... (GunPolicy.org)
Over 100 Massacres in Honduras, Gangs and Gun Availability Blamed
8 January 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
In a clear sign of Honduras' worsening security crisis, statistics show that more than 100 massacres took place inside the country in 2012, with half of the deaths attributed to organized crime.
The Honduran Observatory on Violence, a program at Honduras' largest public university, used fieldwork and media monitoring to count 432 people dead in 115 massacres between January 1 and December 14 last year, reported newspaper El Heraldo.
Firearms were used in 85 percent... (GunPolicy.org)
United Kingdom,Finland,Colombia,Mexico,Western Europe,Australia,Yemen,Canada,New Zealand,United States
On Guns and Gun Law, America an Outlier Among Developed Nations
20 December 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
How freely do guns flow in the United States compared with the world's other industrialized countries?
According to GunPolicy.org, run by Philip Alpers, a firearms analyst at The University of Sydney, the United States is unusual with what Alpers described as the "two pillars" of gun control: licensing gun owners and registering weapons.
"You are basically the only country in the developed world that doesn't license gun owners across the board and you are almost alone... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico: 53,000 Killed by Gunfire in 6 Years [ES]
20 December 2012
El Universal (Mexico)
[Translated summary: During the last year of former President Felipe Calderon's administration firearms seizures increased by 82%, compared with the first year of his term. However, these were not sufficient to reduce homicides committed with firearms in Mexico, registering an increase of 134% this year compared with 2007.]
Durante el último año de la gestión del ex presidente Felipe Calderón aumentó en 82% el decomiso de armas de fuego, en comparación con el... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Honduras,El Salvador,Guatemala
Guatemala: More Than 4,000 Firearms Seized So Far in 2012 [ES]
20 December 2012
Prensa Libre (Guatemala)
[Translated summary: In 2012, Guatemala Police seized 4,302 firearms and captured 2,185 people for illegal possession and carrying of firearms.]
La Policía decomisó desde el 1 de enero al 15 de diciembre recién pasado 4 mil 302 armas de fuego y capturó a 2 mil 185 personas sindicadas de tenencia y portación ilegal.
CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA.- Las autoridades informaron que el objetivo del decomiso es evitar la circulación ilegal de armas, pues estas llegan a manos de... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,El Salvador,Brazil,Philippines,Jamaica,South Africa,Swaziland,Guatemala,Panama,Mexico,Colombia,Honduras
Top 12 Countries for Firearms Related Deaths
17 December 2012
Forbes (USA)
Few major nations have the right to bear arms configured in their Constitution. Even fewer (as in we are the only one) have gun control legislation as a hot button political issue. The U.S. is the most violent core economy in terms of gun related deaths. It is also the leader in gun violence at school campuses. Yet, the U.S. does not lead the world in firearms related deaths. Countries where gangs and drugs are a problem top the list, even where there is strict gun... (GunPolicy.org)
11 Killed in Violent Shooting Weekend in Mexico
10 December 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Heavily armed men took over a municipality in the state of Chihuahua over the weekend, unleashing a wave of violence that left 11 dead, underscoring the scale of the task facing new Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto.
The violence began on the night of December 7, when masked men armed with assault rifles blocked off part of the Chihuahua town of Guadalupe and Calvo before executing two men and setting fire to houses, according to La Jornada.
The assault continued... (GunPolicy.org)
Costa Rica,Mexico,Honduras,Guatemala,Colombia,Brazil,El Salvador
Study Shows South America Gun Deaths More Likely in Cities [ES]
5 December 2012
Prensa Libre (Guatemala) / EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: A new study found that over 60 percent of gun homicides in Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador occur in large cities. ]
GINEBRA - El informe titulado "Violencia urbana armada" señala que las capitales de los países concentran buen parte de la violencia, por ejemplo la Ciudad de Guatemala o Managua, que contabilizan un 42 por ciento del total de los homicidios armados a nivel nacional.
El estudio, basado en cifras oficiales, revela también las... (GunPolicy.org)
Authorities Identify US Networks Trafficking Guns to Colombia
13 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
US and Colombian police say that they have uncovered evidence of two Florida-based networks which smuggled arms into Colombia, evidence of the role US gun traffickers play in arming criminal groups in the country.
El Tiempo reported that the discovery of an illegal arms shipment in Bogota's international airport resulted in Colombian and US authorities identifying two separate family-run arms trafficking networks which sent weapons from central and south Florida to... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras,United States,Mexico,Guatemala
Guatemala, US Sign Gun Tracing Deal to Fight Trafficking
8 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Guatemala is set to gain access to the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' (ATF) weapons tracing system, to track arms confiscated from criminal groups in the country.
Attorney General Claudia Paz y Paz declared that the new agreement would give Guatemala access to the ATF's database, which is also used by Mexico to track the origin of seized weapons, reported Prensa Libre.
Paz y Paz also noted that granting access to Guatemala, a key transit... (GunPolicy.org)
Caribbean Asks for Global Help to Address Drug, Gun Trafficking
6 November 2012
Caribbean360
ROME, Italy – The Bahamas has called on the international law enforcement community to help the Caribbean deal with the illegal drugs trade, warning that despite regional efforts to curb the shipment of illegal drugs the trade has left behind a culture of dishonesty, disrespect, and urban violence in the country.
National Security Minister Dr. Bernard Nottage, addressing the International Police (INTERPOL) General assembly here, said that The Bahamas, for example,... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Gun Battles Kill 9, Authorities Blame Drug Rivalries
5 November 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Gun battles reportedly between rival gangs in the border city of Reynosa over the weekend left nine dead and suggest the Zetas may be making a push to take over the key trafficking corridor and Gulf Cartel stronghold.
The fighting began early on November 3 when four men were shot dead in an SUV on the road connecting Reynosa and Monterrey, reported Informador.
Gunfire was later exchanged between gang members and Mexican soldiers throughout areas of Reynosa, leaving a... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Arrested in Belize Casino Raid, Weapons Seized [ES]
1 November 2012
Diario De Quintana Roo (Mexico)
[Translated summary: Belize authorities have revealed a Mexican man was arrested after a raid at a casino, which resulted in the seizure of unlicensed assault weapons and drugs.]
La Fuerza de Defensa de Belice (BDF) reveló que el mexicano detenido durante un operativo realizado en el casino Las Vegas, ubicado en la Zona Libre, es identificado como Zurisadey Villaseñor Méndez, de oficio taxista y comerciante de Chetumal. Durante el operativo se confiscaron armas... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Police Allege Gang Weapons Stolen from Central America Armies
23 October 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Mexico's northern Coahuila state has seen a series of heavy arms seizures in recent weeks, evidence that Mexico's police are often outgunned in their fight against the country's cartels.
On October 20, agents from the Special Tactics and Weapons Unit (GATE) seized three Soviet-style hand-held rockets and a launcher, among other weapons, reported El Universal. The seizure took place in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, during a search operation for some of the 131 inmates who... (GunPolicy.org)
Honduras,Colombia,Mexico,Guatemala
Honduras to Review Gun Laws in Effort to Lower Crime, Death Rates
18 October 2012
Christian Science Monitor / InSight Crime
The Honduran government is reportedly set to conduct a review of its gun laws in an apparent effort to combat rising violence levels, though equal emphasis will need to be made on addressing endemic corruption and weak institutions to solidify any gains.
Matias Funes, a representative from the independent Commission on Public Security Reform (CRSP), said on Oct. 16 that Honduras' gun laws are in need of urgent revision if efforts are to be made to combat the country's... (GunPolicy.org)
Puerto Rico,Mexico,Honduras,Barbados,United States,Colombia
US Man Breaks Silence on Pre-Fast and Furious Operation, 'Castaway'
8 October 2012
Kansas City Star (Missouri) / Miami Herald
A sensational election-season report into the botched Operation Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation has cast new light on a simultaneous Florida firearms investigation linked to violence in Colombia, Honduras and Puerto Rico.
Called Operation Castaway, the Florida case has received far less attention than Fast and Furious. The latter became an embarrassing distraction for Obama's administration when it was implicated in the death of a federal agent and Mexico... (GunPolicy.org)
Army Deployed After Mexico Capital Sees Rise in Gun Homicides
21 September 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The government has sent a force of 1,000 soldiers and federal police to patrol a suburb of Mexico City in response to a rise in crime, the first time the military has been deployed on this scale so close to the capital in the war on drugs.
Operation Neza, which was launched on September 19, involves around-the-clock patrols and checkpoints throughout Nezahualcoyotl, a suburb in the greater Mexico City metropolitan area with around 1.1 million residents.
In the past... (GunPolicy.org)
New Report Says 'Fast and Furious' US Guns Found in Colombia
10 September 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Several weapons that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) allegedly allowed to be purchased and moved by straw buyers in the so-called "Fast and Furious" case have reportedly ended up in Medellin, Colombia. The finding comes just days before the US Justice Department's Office of the Inspector General will issue a report on the case.
As Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reports, these weapons include at least 2 rifles and 14 Five-seven pistols. Some... (GunPolicy.org)
Police Seize Weapons, Ammo in Mexico After Boy Takes Gun to School
8 September 2012
BBC News
Mexican police have found a large arsenal of weapons thought to belong to drug traffickers at a house in the northern city of Hermosillo, after a nine-year old boy took a gun to school.
The boy's classmates saw the gun in his bag and reported it to the school authorities, who alerted the police.
The weapon, which was reportedly loaded, was confiscated and police raided the boy's home.
There they found the weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
The local... (GunPolicy.org)
Peru,Argentina,Dominican Republic,Colombia,Mexico,Russia,United States
What Google's Arms Trafficking Map Tells Us
28 August 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The lights blanketing the globe on Google's latest foray into data visualization tell a hidden story of the gun trafficking business: that understanding the movement of ammunition is just as important as understanding the movement of weapons.
Google says the interactive map, which was a joint initiative between Google Ideas and the Brazil-based Igarape Institute, was pulled together using more than a million data points of small arms, light weapons, and ammunition... (GunPolicy.org)
US Man in Mexico Ammo Smuggling Case Gets Reduced Charges
24 August 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A Mexico judge has reduced the charges against an American trucker accused of smuggling a truck full of rifle ammunition across the border, accepting his claim that he only crossed into the country by accident.
Mexican border officials arrested Jabin Bogan in Ciudad Juarez this April with 268,000 rounds of ammunition in his vehicle. Bogan said he made a wrong turn and accidentally crossed into Mexico. One of his attorneys said a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP)... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Stops Publishing Data on Gun Deaths Linked to Organised Crime
16 August 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The Mexican government will not continue to release statistics on the number of homicides related to organized crime, leading critics to accuse the administration of withholding the data for political reasons.
In an interview with Reforma, an official from Mexico's federal ministry of security said they would not publish data on Mexico's crime-related murders from before President Felipe Calderon leaves office on November 30.
Jaime Lopez Aranda, the head of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Victims of Gun Violence in Mexico Take Peace Campaign to US
11 August 2012
Inter Press Service News Agency
MEXICO CITY - "The United States should stop producing so many weapons, which cause us so much harm. That country also suffers from so much violence, as billions of dollars go into manufacturing guns."
That is the message that anti-crime activist Fernando Ocegueda will take to the public in the United States, during a one-month visit to that country by the Caravan for Peace with Justice and Dignity, made up of 70 family members of victims of violence in Mexico.
"We... (GunPolicy.org)
Africa,Canada,United States,Americas,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Mexico
Kenneth Epps: Farewell to the UN Arms Treaty – For Now
1 August 2012
Globe & Mail (Toronto)
Lost in the hoopla of the opening ceremony of the Olympics, a vital international marathon of another kind ended Friday with a race suspension just before the finish line. At the United Nations in New York, a month of intensive multilateral negotiations on the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) to regulate international transfers of conventional weapons concluded without agreement, largely because the United States called for more time on the final day.
The U.S. announcement was... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Canada,Mexico,Central America,North America,Caribbean
Lax US Gun Laws Make Canada, Mexico and Caribbean Less Safe
25 July 2012
Time (USA)
Looming over the aftermath of the Aurora shooting is the long-standing and largely fruitless American debate over gun control. My colleague Alex Altman wrote lucidly about the paralysis that grips many U.S. politicians on both sides of the aisle when forced to account for a tragedy of this magnitude. More stringent controls could have thwarted the shooting suspect from spending months undetected while he amassed an arsenal of assault weapons, heavy ammunition and body... (GunPolicy.org)
View of USA Looks Grim from Mexico's One and Only Gun Store
24 July 2012
New York Times
MEXICO CITY — Juan García relinquished his cellphone, walked through two metal detectors, registered with a uniformed soldier — and then finally entered Mexico's only legal gun store.
To anyone familiar with the 49,762 licensed gun dealers in the United States, or the 7,261 gun-selling pawn shops, the place looked less like a store than a government office. Customers waited on metal chairs near a fish tank to be called up to a window to submit piles of paperwork.... (GunPolicy.org)
Alleged Gun Smugglers with Links to Mexican Drug Gang Arrested in US
10 July 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Twenty people have been arrested in Texas accused of being members of a ring which trafficked weapons to the Zetas drug gang, drawing attention again to the role of the US in supplying weapons to Mexican criminals.
The detainees are accused of forming part of a "straw buying" ring that provided at least 33 automatic rifles to the Mexican drug gang late last year. Ten of the 20 accused pleaded not guilty in a court in San Antonio, reported Notimex. According to the... (GunPolicy.org)
The Truth About the Fast and Furious US-Mexico Gun Running Scandal
27 June 2012
Fortune (USA)
A Fortune investigation reveals that the ATF never intentionally allowed guns to fall into the hands of Mexican drug cartels. How the world came to believe just the opposite is a tale of rivalry, murder, and political bloodlust.
FORTUNE -- In the annals of impossible assignments, Dave Voth's ranked high. In 2009 the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives promoted Voth to lead Phoenix Group VII, one of seven new ATF groups along the Southwest border... (GunPolicy.org)
US Atty Gen Contempt Citation 'Hollow Political Theatre' - All About Guns and Fear
27 June 2012
Fox News (USA)
The Republican majority's vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of congress is historic. No Attorney General has ever been so explicitly condemned by the Congress.
But the contempt citation is a hollow political theater. It has no substance – zero.
It will not produce any more documents or evidence about the botched sting operation to halt gun-running between the U.S. and Mexico.
And after Obama Justice Department and White House lawyers offered to... (GunPolicy.org)
Obama-Holder Gun-Grab Conspiracy: 'Fast and Furious' Explained [Video]
20 June 2012
MSNBC, Video
The Obama-Holder Gun-Grab Conspiracy
'Operation Fast and Furious' Fantasy Explained
Rachel Maddow, MSNBC
Video... (GunPolicy.org)
New Mexico Ousted Mayor, Gun-runner Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison
15 June 2012
Latinos Post (USA) / Reuters
The ousted mayor of a small New Mexico border town who helped run nearly 200 firearms to a violent Mexican drug cartel was sentenced on Thursday to 51 months in prison, authorities said.
Eddie Espinoza, 52, the former mayor of Columbus, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Robert Brack in federal court in Las Cruces, New Mexico, U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman said.
Brack also ordered three years of supervised release for Espinoza, who pleaded guilty in July... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico: MP Calls to Facilitate, Promote Lawful Access to Guns [ES]
8 June 2012
La Jornada Aguascalientes (Mexico)
[Translated summary: PAN coordinator in the Congress of Aguascalientes said that the process to legally obtain firearms must be publicised among citizens, as the Constitution itself refers to the right of everyone to own a firearm for self-defence.]
Alfredo Reyes Velázquez, coordinador de los panistas en el Legislativo de Aguascalientes, opinó que el método para conseguir armas de manera legal debe ser publicitado entre la ciudadanía, pues la misma Carta Magna... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Canada
Canada Drops Demand to Exempt 'Civilian' Guns from Arms Trade Treaty
4 June 2012
CBC News (Canada)
Canada has modified its controversial position on a United Nations arms control treaty.
In a new position paper submitted to the UN, the federal government has dropped its proposal to exclude all sporting and hunting firearms from the international Arms Trade Treaty, an agreement that seeks to regulate the import, export and transfer of all conventional weapons.
Last summer Canada surprised many and attracted heaps of scorn from countries such as Nigeria, Brazil,... (GunPolicy.org)
Gunmen Kill 11, Injure 9 in North Mexico Rehab Center
4 June 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Gunmen killed 11 people, wounding at least nine others, at a church-run drug rehab facility in Torreon, north Mexico, a year after 13 died in a massacre at another center in the city.
Police said gunmen with AR-15 assault rifles and nine millimeter handguns burst into the "Your Life on the Rock" drug rehabilitation center in Torreon on Sunday night, killing 11 and wounding at least nine, AFP reported. A police source told the news service the gunmen arrived in two... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican Couple Admit to 27,000-round Ammo Cache in Texas
15 May 2012
Reuters
Two illegal immigrants pleaded guilty in Texas on Monday to possessing 27,000 rounds of assault rifle ammunition along the U.S.-Mexico border, where cross-border weapons smuggling has increased in recent years, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Police in Laredo, Texas, discovered the ammunition after they stopped a Dodge Ram pickup truck that failed to stop at a stop sign in March, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson said in a statement.
Weapons traffickers along the... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican MP Suggests Military Sell Arms to Civilians Directly [ES]
10 May 2012
Frontenet (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: MP Gloria Guadalupe Rodriguez (PRI) has put forward a controversial initiative, suggesting the formal installation of a unit for selling arms in each military zone so that civilians could acquire them legally.]
La diputada Gloria Guadalupe Rodríguez (PRI), presentó una polémica iniciativa que pretende solicitar formalmente la instalación de una unidad de comercialización de armamento en cada zona militar, para que los ciudadanos puedan... (GunPolicy.org)
Five-seven Semi-Automatic Pistol Arrives on Colombian Black Market
9 May 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The Five-seven semi-automatic pistol, capable of piercing body armor, is already a favored weapon of the Mexican cartels. Now there are signs that this "cop killer" gun has found its way into the Colombian black market.
A spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has described the Five-seven as "the weapon of choice" for Mexico's criminal organizations. The weapon first gained the attention of Mexico law enforcement after it was used... (GunPolicy.org)
Asia,South America,Turkey,United Kingdom,Mexico,United States
Proposal to Relax Export Restrictions on Firearms in U.S. Unpopular
2 May 2012
Wall Street Journal
U.S. homeland-security and law-enforcement agencies have objected to
Obama administration proposals to relax export restrictions on
high-powered firearms, threatening a centerpiece of the president's
trade and national-security agenda.
The agencies, in internal memos viewed by The Wall Street Journal,
warn the changes could help arm drug cartels and terrorists and make
it harder for the U.S. to crack down on gun-trafficking.
The arms proposal is part of a broader... (GunPolicy.org)
Feds Say 68,000 Guns Seized in Mexico Were Traced Back to US [ES]
26 April 2012
El Correo (Spain)
[Translated Summary: Washington says 68,000 guns recovered by Mexican authorities in the past five years have been traced back to the United States. An official report by the The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says that during this period, the Mexican authorities submitted more than 99,000 arms for tracing.]
WASHINGTON - El Gobierno de México ha recuperado más de 99.000 armas de fuego entre 2007 y 2011, de las cuales más de 68.000 procedían de... (GunPolicy.org)
Washington Says 68,000 Guns Seized in Mexico Were Traced Back to US
26 April 2012
Seattle Times / AP
WASHINGTON — The government said Thursday that 68,000 guns recovered by Mexican authorities in the past five years have been traced back to the United States.
The flood of tens of thousands of weapons underscores complaints from Mexico that the U.S. is responsible for arming the drug cartels plaguing its southern neighbor. Six years of violence between warring cartels have killed more than 47,000 people in Mexico.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and... (GunPolicy.org)
New Obama Gun Rule Sparks 123 Gun Trafficking Probes in Texas Alone
25 April 2012
Houston Chronicle (Texas)
Federal agents in South Texas have opened 123 criminal investigations as a result of a new requirement that border-state gun stores report customers who buy two or more large caliber rifles in the same week, especially those preferred by Mexican drug cartels.
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said Wednesday that it is not looking at everyone who makes multiple purchases, but those who draw suspicion for other reasons, such as repeatedly... (GunPolicy.org)
Proposal to Allow the Right to Carry Hidden Handguns in Mexico [ES]
19 April 2012
Milenio (Mexico)
[Translated Summary: University Professor and lawyer Ernesto Villanueva suggests allowing the free carrying of firearms in Mexico, under administrative regulations and ensuring prior technical qualification of the carriers.]
El catedrático y jurista Ernesto Villanueva aseguró que con ello se erradicará el tráfico ilegal y los delitos; además mencionó "pareciera que hay dos cárteles, uno operado por el presidente Calderón y otro operado por las bandas... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Seizes 268,000 Rounds of Ammunition from US Truck at Border
18 April 2012
Washington Post / AP
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Mexican customs inspectors seized 268,000 rounds of assault rifle ammunition found in a U.S. truck at a border crossing in Ciudad Juarez, authorities reported Wednesday.
Angel Torres, a spokesman for federal prosecutors in northern Chihuahua state, said a 37-year-old man from Dallas, Texas, was detained for trying to drive the truck across the border from El Paso, Texas.
Torres said the driver, who is being held pending investigation on... (GunPolicy.org)
90% of Guns Seized in Mexico Traced Back to US - ATF 2009 Report
16 April 2012
Latin American Herald Tribune (Venezuela)
MEXICO CITY – An exhibit of photographs and art at a Mexico City museum seeks to draw attention to the impact of arms smuggled into Mexico from the United States and gather signatures for a campaign demanding that Washington put an end to arms trafficking.
"Adios a las armas. Contrabando en las fronteras" (Goodbye Firearms. Contraband at the Borders), which opened on Nov. 30 at Mexico City's Museum of Memory and Tolerance, has been seen by about 30,000 visitors,... (GunPolicy.org)
What a Nerve: Mexican President Suggests a US Role in Gun Running
10 April 2012
The Hill (Washington DC)
The nerve of President Calderon of Mexico. How dare he come to the United States and utter two words Americans are no longer allowed to speak? I heard them myself in the Rose Garden last week: gun control.
Calderon's comments came in response to a reporter's question about the ongoing drug wars in Mexico, in which 11,000 people were killed in 2010 alone. What are you doing about the guns?
He began by noting that the level of gun violence in Mexico began to escalate in... (GunPolicy.org)
Art and Photo Show Focuses on Trade in Firearms, Deadly Effects in Mexico
5 April 2012
Huffington Post (USA) / AP
MEXICO CITY — An art and photo show focusing on the trade in firearms and their deadly effects in Mexico may soon be going to the United States, the same place where many of the weapons come from.
The show, "A Farewell to Arms. Contraband on the Border," uses photos and artwork to illustrate how the illegal weapons trade has affected Mexico, where more than 47,000 people have died in drug-related violence since late 2006.
The non-governmental groups Global Exchange... (GunPolicy.org)
Man Pleads Guilty in Botched 'Fast and Furious' US Gun-running Sting
5 April 2012
Reuters
PHOENIX - A man pleaded guilty on Thursday to two felony counts of purchasing and running high-powered rifles to Mexico from Arizona under the botched "Fast and Furious" federal sting operation tied to the murder of a U.S. federal agent.
Jaime Avila Jr. was among a ring of 20 defendants charged with buying high-powered firearms including Kalashnikov type assault rifles and Barrett sniper rifles to run to the Mexican cartels.
The purchases were made in the Phoenix area... (GunPolicy.org)
United States,Mexico,Central America,Honduras,Guatemala,El Salvador
El Salvador Soldiers Accused of Selling Guns to Guatemala, Honduras Gangs
2 April 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
Prosecutors in El Salvador ordered the arrest of eight soldiers and one civilian linked to an arms trafficking network that may have supplied thousands of weapons to drug gangs in Guatemala and Honduras.
On March 30, the office of El Salvador's Attorney General (FGR) ordered the arrest of the nine suspects, alleging that they had participated in a scheme which involved siphoning off weapons that were slated to be destroyed, and selling them to drug trafficking... (GunPolicy.org)
For Every 300 Guns in Mexico, 299 Are Carried Without a Licence [ES]
28 March 2012
Quadratin (Mexico)
[Translated summary: For every 300 firearms that exist in Mexico, 299 are possessed without a licence. Of those, 270 are for criminal use, said researcher and writer Ernesto Villanueva, citing data of the Ministry of National Defense (SEDENA).]
MORELIA, Mich. - Por cada 300 armas de fuego que existen en México, 299 se portan sin permiso y de esas, 270 son para uso delictivo, afirmó el escritor e investigador Ernesto Villanueva, aludiendo datos duros de la Secretaría... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,Australia,Brazil,Nigeria,Canada
Canada Changed Its Arms Policy, Chose UN Delegate to Suit Gun Lobby
21 March 2012
CBC News (Canada)
The office of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird ordered last-minute changes to Canada's position on an international arms treaty, as well as to its delegation to meetings at United Nations headquarters, CBC News has learned.
According to documents obtained under the Access to Information Act, the minister's office ignored advice from the department and ordered civil servants to invite Steve Torino, president of the Canadian Shooting Sports Association (CSSA), to... (GunPolicy.org)
Feds Caught Top Man in US-Mexico Drug Cartel Gun Running, Let Him Go
19 March 2012
Los Angeles Times
Federal agents stopped the main target of the ill-fated Operation Fast and Furious in May 2010. After they questioned him, he disappeared back into Mexico, and the program went on to spiral out of control.
WASHINGTON — Seven months after federal agents began the ill-fated Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation, they stumbled upon their main suspect in a remote Arizona outpost on the Mexican border, driving an old BMW with 74 rounds of ammunition and nine cellphones... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico, Awash in Illegal Firearms, Has Just One Legal Gun Store
19 March 2012
Kansas City Star (Missouri)
MEXICO CITY — Mexico has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world. If any of the nation's 112 million citizens want to buy firearms, there's only one store where they can do it legally. It's on a sprawling military base and run by the army.
That, however, hasn't stopped Mexicans from acquiring firearms. The country is awash in illegal guns, many of them assault weapons in the hands of merciless criminal gangs. President Felipe Calderon says authorities have... (GunPolicy.org)
Legal US Gun Sales Arm Drug Cartels - Mexican Soldiers Take Weapons
15 March 2012
Reuters
Recent focus on the relationship between U.S. guns and Mexican cartels has been limited to the ATF's "Fast and the Furious." That plan had agents selling assault rifles to Mexican gun runners so that they could track high-ranking cartel members.
Though the ATF's actions are a bit questionable, there's actually a completely legal -- and perhaps more harmful -- way the U.S. is arming Mexican cartels. It's called "direct commercial sales" and it's operated by the State... (GunPolicy.org)
Egypt,Mexico,Iran,United States,Syria,Russia,China,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Collapse of UN Arms Trade Treaty Talks Narrowly Averted - Reuters
17 February 2012
Reuters
UNITED NATIONS - Negotiators on Friday narrowly averted the collapse of talks on a world arms trade treaty to regulate the $55 billion global weapons market, agreeing on ground rules for negotiations after days of procedural wrangling.
Delegates and advocates for tougher oversight of global arms sales said the agreement set the stage for a monthlong conference in July to draft the treaty.
Arms control campaigners say one person every minute dies as a result of armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexican President Unveils 'No More Weapons!' Billboard on US Border
17 February 2012
Washington Post / AP
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — President Felipe Calderon on Thursday unveiled a "No More Weapons!" billboard made with crushed firearms and placed near the U.S. border. He urged the United States to stop the flow of weapons into Mexico.
The billboard, which is in English and weighs 3 tons, was placed near an international bridge in Ciudad Juarez and can be seen from the United States.
Calderon said the billboard's letters were made with weapons seized by local, state and... (GunPolicy.org)
Texas: Desperate Housewives Buy Assault Rifles for Mexico's Drug Cartels
8 February 2012
Reuters
SAN ANTONIO - Nine Texas men and women have been sentenced to prison for purchasing firearms for Mexico's Los Zetas drug cartel, and a dozen others face charges linked to a Department of Justice probe into weapons trafficking, officials said on Wednesday.
U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman said that in many cases, the purchasers were paid a couple of hundred dollars to buy a weapon and hand it to a smuggler.
"Firearms smugglers employ individuals in the United States with no... (GunPolicy.org)
How America's Lax Gun Laws Enable Drug Cartel Killings in Mexico
5 February 2012
Washington Post, Editorial
Do America's failed gun policies contribute to the terrible violence in Mexico? Alejandro A. Poire Romero makes a compelling case that the answer is yes.
Law enforcement officials in both countries acknowledge that 70 to 80 percent of the traceable guns seized in Mexico can be tracked to the United States. Mr. Poire Romero, a top Mexican national security and criminal justice official, offers additional evidence that the United States has been an enabler of the... (GunPolicy.org)
New York, Boston Mayors Lead Influential American Gun Control Group
4 February 2012
Reuters
NEW YORK - Among the slick, million-dollar ads for the likes of Pepsi and Honda during the Super Bowl this Sunday, viewers in Washington will see a far more modest spot. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will be sitting on a couch touting an issue most politicians avoid like the plague: gun control.
The two mayors, whose local teams face off in the big game, are making the pitch for Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), the organization they... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico,El Salvador,Honduras,Venezuela,Brazil,Colombia
Colombia Capital Tries Trial Ban on Guns in Public
2 February 2012
New York Times / AP
BOGOTA, Colombia — Gustavo Petro was imprisoned as a rebel in the 1980s on a weapons conviction. As Bogota's new mayor, he wants to get firearms off the streets of this city where the conspicuous display of guns has long been the norm.
So he's trying an experimental ban on gun-wielding in public.
The only people authorized to carry weapons during the 90-day trial that began Wednesday are active and retired police and soldiers, bodyguards of diplomats, politicians,... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Gangs Prefer Guns from the 80s-90s as They Are Harder to Trace
31 January 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
According to Mexico's Defense Department, criminal organizations are equipping themselves with firearms that are between 20 and 30 years old. The government says this casts doubt on the claim that the gangs are better armed than the security forces.
The Mexican Army seized over 130,000 firearms since 2006, the majority of which were fabricated in the 1980s and 1990s, Excelsior reports. These include makeshift weapons that were modified or repaired using old parts from... (GunPolicy.org)
US Suggested Mexico Allow Illegal Guns to Cross Border to Cartels
28 January 2012
Washington Post / AP
WASHINGTON — Newly released Justice Department emails sent to Capitol Hill for a congressional inquiry into a gun-smuggling operation indicate that the head of the department's criminal division suggested letting some illicit "straw" weapons buyers in the U.S. transport their guns across the border into Mexico where they could be arrested.
According to the emails turned over to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Friday night, the Justice official,... (GunPolicy.org)
Normally Law-Abiding Mexicans Take Up Illegal Guns for Protection
28 January 2012
National Public Radio (USA)
In Mexico, where criminals are armed to the teeth with high-powered weapons smuggled from the United States, it may come as a surprise that the country has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the world.
Law-abiding Mexicans who want a gun to defend themselves have no good options. Either they fight government red tape to get a legal permit, or they buy one on the black market.
After an outbreak of violence, one embattled community in northern Mexico called... (GunPolicy.org)
Thailand,Malaysia,Indonesia,Kuwait,Qatar,Mexico,Peru,Venezuela,Colombia,Bolivia,Somalia,Nepal,Oman,Latvia,Mauritius,Guyana,Congo (DRC),Bosnia & Herzegovina,Saudi Arabia,Liberia,Kazakhstan,Singapore,Dominican Republic,Jordan,Trinidad & Tobago,United Arab Emirates,Guatemala,Honduras,Chile,Ecuador,Argentina,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (ROC),Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Côte d'Ivoire,Egypt,Burkina Faso,Brazil,Tunisia,Sri Lanka,Pakistan,Philippines,Yemen,United States,Italy,Germany,Israel,Austria,Russia,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,South Africa,Algeria,Angola,Botswana,Ghana,Guinea,Madagascar
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [PT]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: With the support of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Brazilian gun manufacturers seek new markets in countries with a history of human rights violations: Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Yemen. Brazil is among the six countries in the world with annual exports exceeding $ 100 million, according to recent research from Small Arms Survey. According to the Army, responsible for supervising and controlling exports from 2005 to... (GunPolicy.org)
In Wake of Botched Gun Trafficking Probe, US Reveals New Sting Rules
27 January 2012
Chicago Tribune / Reuters
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration on Friday revealed new reforms undertaken to improve how it conducts undercover gun trafficking investigations in the wake of a botched operation in which scores of weapons disappeared.
The reforms require additional oversight of undercover operations, including those that involve more than 50 firearms, and, in most cases, ends the practice of paying gun dealers to serve as confidential informants.
Additionally, a new review... (GunPolicy.org)
Mexico Catches Alleged Major Gun Smuggler for Sinaloa Drug Cartel
19 January 2012
New York Times / AP
MEXICO CITY — Mexican police say they have captured one of the main smugglers of illegal weapons for the Sinaloa drug cartel.
Federal police say Eduardo Avila Ojeda smuggled guns, ammunition and explosives into Mexico to be used by the cartel.
Police said Thursday that the 34-year-old suspect was captured Wednesday in the northern city of Culiacan.
Culiacan is the capital of Sinaloa state, home to the cartel of the same name.
Mexican officials have long blamed... (GunPolicy.org)
US Gun Dealers on Mexico Border Must Report Multiple Sales
18 January 2012
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A ruling by a US judge on tracking the sale of high-powered firearms in states on the southern border is a step forward for authorities trying to legislate against the flow of guns into Mexico.
Federal Judge Rosemary Collyer upheld an order made last year by the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The ATF asked more than 8,000 gun dealers in Arizona, Texas, California and New Mexico to report sales of multiple semi-automatic rifles to one... (GunPolicy.org)
More Than 6 Million Firearms Illegally Circulating in Mexico [ES]
20 December 2011
El Occidental (Guadalajara)
[Translated summary: More than six million firearms are illegally circulating in Mexico. Rep. Salvador Caro suggests a three months period to register these, then punish illegal carrying of a firearm with five years in prison and no right to bail.]
Más de seis millones de armas de fuego circulan por México de manera ilegal, sin licencia, y es por ello que el diputado federal Salvador Caro propone se dé un plazo de tres meses para registrar una parte de éstas, para... (GunPolicy.org)