Posted on 04/22/2008 1:20:48 PM PDT by 300magnum
U.S. gun stores and gun shows are the source of more than 90 percent of the weapons being used by Mexico's ruthless drug cartels, according to U.S. and Mexican law enforcement officials.
"It's a war going on in Mexico, and these types of firearms are the weapons of war for them," said Bill Newell, the special agent in charge of the Phoenix field division of the ATF, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which has primary law enforcement jurisdiction for investigating gun smuggling to Mexico.
"It's virtually impossible to buy a firearm in Mexico as a private citizen, so this country is where they come," said Newell.
But U.S. efforts to stop the smuggling of tens of thousands of guns to Mexico, including high-powered assault weapons, have been hampered by lenient American gun laws and the Bush administration's failure to give priority to anti-gun smuggling efforts, officials tell ABC News for a report Tuesday on ABC News' "World News With Charles Gibson."
President Bush said today at a press conference that Mexican President Felipe Calderon again raised the issue of guns at their meeting in New Orleans.
Mexico's strict gun laws are being subverted by the easy availability of weapons in the U.S., the Mexican attorney general, Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza, told ABC News. "The Second Amendment," said the attorney general, "is certainly not designed to arm and give fire power to organized crime abroad."
More than 3,400 people have been killed by the drug cartels in the last 15 months, 2,000 of them law enforcement officials, according to the Mexican attorney general.
U.S. and Mexican officials say they have traced most of the thousands of high-powered weapons seized from the drug cartels to gun dealers in Texas, California and Arizona.
Assault weapons made in China and Eastern Europe, resembling the AK-47, have become widely and cheaply available in the U.S. since Congress and the Bush administration refused to extend a ban on such weapons in 2004.
Under federal gun laws, gun dealers are not required to report multiple purchases of such weapons because they are classified as rifles.
"If you were to go into a drugstore and buy 20 of these, there is no requirement by the gun dealer to fill out a multiple sales form," said the ATF's Newell.
The drug cartels' weapons of choice include variants of the AK-47, .50-caliber rifles converted to automatic firing capability and a Belgian-made pistol called the "cop killer" or "mata policia" because of its ability to pierce a bulletproof vest.
"It's in high demand by your violent drug cartels, their assassins in Mexico," said Newell of the ATF. The gun can fire a high-powered round used in a rifle.
An ABC News investigation found the "mata policia" and a wide range of assault weapons prominently displayed at gun stores along the border in Texas, the state providing the most weapons to the drug cartels, according to the ATF.
Under Texas and federal law, there is no waiting period for the purchase of such weapons and no restriction on how many can be bought at a time.
U.S. officials say there is little they can do to go after licensed gun dealers because large purchases, dozens or hundreds at a time, are legal for U.S. citizens and legal immigrants with an IRS green card unless a gun dealer suspects the purchase is being made for someone else.
ATF agents say legitimate gun dealers will often report suspicious activities, but that a small but significant number looks the other way.
"I have personally worked cases where gun dealers have willfully allowed hundreds of guns to leave their gun store knowing that they were going into the wrong hands," said Newell.
While the Bush administration has asked for an additional $100 million to combat drug violence on the border, only $948,000, less than one percent, has been allocated to the ATF under the White House proposal.
"We need a lot more resources," said the ATF's Newell.
"It sure shows a lack of concern on our part for this piece of the problem," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., who has introduced legislation to give the ATF an additional $15 million to improve border efforts.
So the whole "cop killer" argument is a crock of guacamole.
I had to snicker at the Mexican AG who claimed you can buy 20 AK-47s at a "drug store", or hundreds of them at a gun store. No se puede!
Over the last few years hasn’t the Coast Guard captured about a dozen submarines used for smuggling? I guess they bought those in American gunshops too??
No "Barf Alert" necessary.
Especially when one can go to another third world country and buy full auto AK-47’s for $100.
I think I can fix this...all ATF has to do is add this question to their Form 4473:
Are you a member of one of Mexico’s ruthless drug cartels?
Yes_________ No___________
If they answer “yes” then the sale is not approved...problem solved. /sarc
The "Money Quote"...
I fail to see a problem here.
Let them kill each other. If they swear to do so, I’ll buy ‘em a CASE of ammo.
“I fail to see a problem here. Let them kill each other. If they swear to do so, I’ll buy ‘em a CASE of ammo.”
But if all of that ammo was “micro-stamped” we could use that information for even better crime solving —just like here in the U.S. /sarc
We a lot less BATFE is what we need. Like none.
But the incoming 'Rat administration would much rather cut the DoD budget, giving some fraction to the BATFErs, and the rest to the poverty pimps.
McPain OTOH, will send even more to "his friends" at the BATFE, but probably not out of the DoD budget... unless to placate "his friends accross the aisle. Friends like Fat Teddy, and UpChuck Schumer.
“Deal with it. You send us illegals. We send back destabilizing weapons for your country. Fair’s fair.”
I like that! I’ll have to rememeber that line.
Show me a drugstore anywhere in America where you can buy 20 AK-47s. I dare you.
Hell, they bought them at WallyWorld.
ChiCom made.
Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.