The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S.

Fox News ^ | April 02, 2009 | William La Jeunesse & Maxim Lott

[Brian Kopp DPM]

EXCLUSIVE: You've heard this shocking "fact" before -- on TV and radio, in newspapers, on the Internet and from the highest politicians in the land: 90 percent of the weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico come from the United States.

-- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it to reporters on a flight to Mexico City.

-- CBS newsman Bob Schieffer referred to it while interviewing President Obama.

-- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said at a Senate hearing: "It is unacceptable to have 90 percent of the guns that are picked up in Mexico and used to shoot judges, police officers and mayors ... come from the United States."

-- William Hoover, assistant director for field operations at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, testified in the House of Representatives that "there is more than enough evidence to indicate that over 90 percent of the firearms that have either been recovered in, or interdicted in transport to Mexico, originated from various sources within the United States."

There's just one problem with the 90 percent "statistic" and it's a big one:

It's just not true.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Note the date of the above Fox News report, April 02, 2009. It should be obvious that Fast and Furious/Gunwalker was an operation contrived solely to bolster the Obama administration's narrative that "90 percent of the weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico come from the United States."

I've spoken with several current and retired employees of NDIC about Fast and Furious since the NDIC's role in appraising Eric Holder hit the news earlier this week. (NDIC is headquartered in my hometown, and I know a half dozen current and retired employees.)

I specifically asked how ATF expected to trace these weapons once they "walked" into Mexico, since, unlike the "Wide Receiver" program in existence under Bush, these weapons were not wired with RF devices to track them remotely.

They all agreed that the only way ATF could have traced these weapons was that Mexico, which is a member of Interpol, would have traced the origins of the weapons via the INTERPOL Firearms Tracing System.

And the only way the authorities would have been able to get the serial numbers from these weapons would be if they were seized after a crime, or in a raid, because the ATF did not appraise the Mexican government that they were being "walked" there.

In other words, the ATF knew they would have to be used in a violent crime in Mexico and traced through Interpol in order to be traced back to US FFL dealers, if they were to be traced at all.

There was no pretext of tracing or seizing these guns prior to their recovery by Mexican authorities. And since the Mexican authorities only knew what they were receiving from Interpol about their origin, Mexican reports on their provenance would have matched the Obama administration's claims that "90% of guns used in Mexican drug violence come from gun dealers in the USA.

[puppypusher]

The reds on the Left will do or say anything to get rid of the 2nd Amendment.Even when they are proven to be liars.

[therightliveswithus]

Does the 90% figure include the DOJ’s guns?

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

I would say a very small percentage of guns. Raw number? Maybe a little north of 1,500.

[ozzymandus]

The RAT media was a willing participant in the “gunwalker” fiasco, which seems to have been largely a scheme to attack US gun ownership. Now that it’s blown up in their lying faces, they have to find a way to cover their asses.

[rockinqsranch]

“It should be obvious that Fast and Furious/Gunwalker was an operation contrived solely to bolster the Obama administration’s narrative that “90 percent of the weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico come from the United States.””

I believe it. Have from the beginning of all of this.

[TigersEye]

Using Operation Fast and Furious as a baseline, it is reasonable to assume that if the other gunwalking operations were as productive, the U.S. may have run between 10,000 and 20,00o guns, enough weapons to outfit an entire U.S. Army infantry division.

Don't underestimate the power of the FedGov.

[AAABEST]

Mexican reports on their provenance would have matched the Obama administration's claims that "90% of guns used in Mexican drug violence come from gun dealers in the USA.

Not only were there never any "sting" operations, but there weren't even any tangible plans for any sting operations. Even if there existed plans for supposed sting operations, there would have been no way to carry them out, as is pointed out in your original post.

Even if these make-believe stings could possibly have ever come to fruition and they discovered which drug cartel murderers finally wound up with the guns, what would they have done with the information? Mexican officials weren't even aware that this was going on.

The idea that thousands of weapons were smuggled into Mexico for the sole purpose of finding out who the end-users would be is simply ludicrous. Every time I see an article that claims something along the lines that this was a "botched sting operation" I want to scream.

I wasn't a botched sting. This was a criminal endeavor that resulted in hundreds of murders, including innocents and U.S. law enforcement agents.

[Rad_J]

90 percent of the weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico come from the PRESIDENT of the United States.

Obama was telling the truth!

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Every time I see an article that claims something along the lines that this was a "botched sting operation" I want to scream.

It wasn't a botched sting. This was a criminal endeavor that resulted in hundreds of murders, including innocents and U.S. law enforcement agents.

Exactly.

But who is going to go to jail over this criminal endeavor?

[mylife]

William La Jeunesse & Maxim Lott finally do a write up on what most clear thinking people knew was going on all along.

[Brian Kopp DPM]

Look at the date of the story. They published this in 2009.

[mylife]

Thanks for pointing that out.

[onevoter]

And add to this the fact that Obama made assurances at a “Brady Commission” meeting that his administration was “Working under the radar” to push through stricter gun control laws. It is my firm belief that “under the radar” translates to this very operation. This administration will stoop to any depths to push their agenda despite the majority of Americans not sharing that agenda.