| by Michael Webster: Investigative Reporter | | | | and assault rifle ammunition destined for |
| June 22, 2008 9:00 pm PDT | | | | Mexico. ATF has also seized large |
| | | | quantities of .50 caliber ammunition for use |
| William Hoover, Assistant Director for Field | | | | in high-caliber long range sniper weapons and |
| Operations of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, | | | | machine gangs. |
| Firearms and Explosives (ATF), recently told | | | | |
| the United States House of Representatives | | | | Â |
| Committee on Foreign Affaires Subcommittee on | | | | |
| the Western  Hemisphere that the violence | | | | The National Association of Retired Border |
| fueled by Mexico's drug cartels poses a | | | | Patrol Agents reported that the following are |
| serious challenge for both U.S. and Mexican | | | | the first paragraphs of a long editorial |
| Law Enforcement in that the drug trafficking | | | | found in Diario de Xalapa (Xalapa, |
| related violence is threatening the well | | | | Veracruz), a member of "O.E.M.", (A Mexican |
| being and safety of citizens on both sides of | | | | editorial organization ) a large media chain |
| the border. Mr. Williams is in charge of | | | | of 70 newspapers in Mexico. This particular |
| operations of all of the Bureau's field | | | | column was found to have been removed from |
| offices, including those along the Southwest | | | | this and other "O.E.M." sites when they |
| Border. | | | | returned to it later today. |
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| Â | | | | Â |
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| Mr. Hoover pointed out that the ATF has long | | | | (SEC) "The alarming figures about crimes |
| been committed to investigating and | | | | committed by the underworld in Mexico, which |
| disrupting groups and individuals who utilize | | | | overall since Dec. 1, 2006 to date surpass |
| firearms trafficking as a means to facilitate | | | | 4,800 executions, demonstrate that in the |
| the drug trade on both sides of the border | | | | country organized crime, the guerilla and |
| through the use of firearms illegally | | | | narcotraffic have in their hands as many |
| obtained in the U.S. and subsequently | | | | weapons as the national government. |
| smuggled into Mexico. Mexican President | | | | |
| Calderon and Attorney General Medina Mora | | | | The main clandestine entry of weapons into |
| have identified the cartel-related violence | | | | the country is done through the northern |
| as a top priority and have proclaimed the | | | | border and the Pacific, originating from the |
| illegal trafficking of U.S.-sourced firearms | | | | big American firms and from China, where |
| the "number one" crime problem affecting the | | | | there is no control for the transfer of |
| security of Mexico today. | | | | weapons produced by their five gigantic |
| | | | firearms industries factories. For Georgina |
| Â | | | | Sanchez, a researcher with the Latin American |
| | | | Social Sciences ("FLACSO") in Mexico, there |
| Public safety along the U.S.-Mexico border | | | | is an amount estimated at between 12 and 20 |
| has deteriorated considerably and Mexico has | | | | million high power firearms, mostly AK-47s |
| seen nearly five years of intensified bloody | | | | from China, and 40 million pistols and |
| turf battles between the major Mexican drug | | | | rifles, the majority of them in the hands of |
| cartels operating within Mexico. The ATF | | | | guerilla fighters, narcotraffickers and |
| claim that the battles for control over | | | | organized crime. |
| lucrative narco-corridors into the U.S. from | | | | |
| Mexico are the result of intense U.S. and | | | | Â |
| Mexican law enforcement and military | | | | |
| counter-narcotics operations and extraditions | | | | As hard as one might fight (because in Mexico |
| that commenced in late 2003 targeting the | | | | no one has declared war on anyone else since |
| leaders of the most prolific Mexican drug | | | | the EZLN did so on Jan. 1, 1994) against the |
| cartels. In seeking to gain control of the | | | | criminals, nothing will be accomplished by |
| disputed corridors, namely the Baja/Tijuana, | | | | the federal, state and city governments as |
| Sonora/Nogales, Juarez/ Chihuahua and Nuevo | | | | long as firearms traffic is not brought to a |
| Laredo corridors, Mexican drug cartels and | | | | halt." |
| their ruthless Mexican and American gang | | | | |
| enforcers have more aggressively turned to | | | | As such, ATF is working with Mexican |
| the U.S. as a source of firearms. The weapons | | | | officials to increase their current usage of |
| are then used against other cartels, the | | | | ATF's eTrace system. eTrace provides web |
| Mexican Military, Mexican and U.S. law | | | | based access to ATF's Firearms Tracing System |
| enforcement officials, as well as innocent | | | | to allow law enforcement both domestically |
| civilians on both sides of the border. | | | | and internationally the ability to trace data |
| | | | from firearms seized in connection with a |
|  | | | | criminal investigation. eTrace allows law |
| | | | enforcement to access their trace results |
| The ATF says that the intelligence gathered | | | | directly and offers the ability to generate |
| by them and other domestic Federal law | | | | statistical reports to analyze their trace |
| enforcement entities indicates that the | | | | data to determine firearms trafficking trends |
| cartels or as they like to call them DTOs | | | | or patterns. In addition, ATF is |
| have tasked their money laundering, | | | | developing Memorandums of Understanding with |
| distribution and transportation apparatuses, | | | | Mexico to provide e Trace training to nine |
| all of which reach across the border into the | | | | consulates in Mexico. This initiative |
| United States, to acquire firearms for | | | | should increase the amount of trace |
| illegal transfer back to Mexico for use in | | | | information Mexico provides to ATF each year. |
| facilitating narco-trafficking and other | | | | |
| criminal activities. | | | | Â |
| | | | |
| Â | | | | ATF is also part of the Administration's |
| | | | recently announced "Merida initiative."Â |
| In analyzing the data collected through ATF's | | | | Mr. Hoover told the committee "This |
| investigative and regulatory operations that | | | | initiative is a comprehensive U.S. strategy |
| have been focused on the abatement of illegal | | | | to address drug smuggling, firearms |
| firearms trafficking to Mexico, there is more | | | | trafficking, and increasing violence in |
| than enough evidence to indicate that over 90 | | | | Mexico and Central America.  If the FY |
| percent of the firearms that have either been | | | | 2008 supplemental is enacted, ATF would |
| recovered in, or interdicted in transport to | | | | receive $2 million through the initiative to |
| Mexico, originated from various sources | | | | assist in the expansion of Spanish eTrace to |
| within the United States. An in-depth, | | | | countries in the Central America region.  |
| comprehensive analysis of firearms trace data | | | | Funding would also be used to deploy an ATF |
| over the past three years shows that Texas, | | | | regional advisor to Central American |
| Arizona and California are the three most | | | | countries to assist them with firearms |
| prolific source states, respectively, for | | | | trafficking issues. As part of the |
| firearms illegally trafficked to Mexico. | | | | proposed Spanish eTrace expansion, ATF would |
| | | | provide training to Mexican and Central |
| Â | | | | American countries to ensure that the |
| | | | technology is utilized to the greatest extent |
| Until recently, the Mexican drug cartels | | | | possible." |
| "weapons of choice" had been .38 caliber | | | | |
| handguns. However, recent trace data of | | | |  |
| firearms seized in Mexico and "Stateside" | | | | |
| interdictions of firearms bound for Mexico | | | | Sources: |
| shows that cartel members and gang enforcers | | | | |
| have now developed a preference for higher | | | | Â |
| quality, more powerful weapons. The most | | | | |
| common of these firearms now includes the | | | | NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FORMER BORDER PATROL |
| Colt AR-15 .223 caliber assault rifle, the | | | | OFFICERS |
| AK-47 "type/variant" 7.62 caliber assault | | | | |
| rifle, FN 5.57 caliber pistols (better known | | | | United States House of Representatives |
| in Mexico as the "Cop Killer"… or | | | | Committee on Foreign Affaires Subcommittee on |
| "Asesino de la Policia"). In conjunction | | | | the Western  Hemisphere |
| with the dramatic increase in U.S. source | | | | |
| firearms that have either been recovered in | | | | Mexican Federal Government |
| Mexico, or interdicted prior to reaching | | | | |
| Mexico, ATF also routinely seizes small arms | | | | "O.E.M. |