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Mexico's Massive Illegal Weapons Coming From China and the U.s

by Michael Webster: Investigative Reporterand assault rifle ammunition destined for
June  22,  2008  9:00  pm  PDTMexico. ATF has also seized large
quantities of .50 caliber ammunition for use
William Hoover, Assistant Director for Fieldin 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 RepresentativesÂ
Committee on Foreign Affaires Subcommittee on
the Western  Hemisphere that the violenceThe National Association of Retired Border
fueled by Mexico's drug cartels poses aPatrol Agents reported that the following are
serious challenge for both U.S. and Mexicanthe first paragraphs of a long editorial
Law Enforcement in that the drug traffickingfound in Diario de Xalapa (Xalapa,
related violence is threatening the wellVeracruz), a member of "O.E.M.", (A Mexican
being and safety of citizens on both sides ofeditorial organization ) a large media chain
the border. Mr. Williams is in charge ofof 70 newspapers in Mexico. This particular
operations of all of the Bureau's fieldcolumn was found to have been removed from
offices, including those along the Southwestthis and other "O.E.M." sites when they
Border.returned  to  it  later  today.
ÂÂ
Mr. Hoover pointed out that the ATF has long(SEC) "The alarming figures about crimes
been committed to investigating andcommitted by the underworld in Mexico, which
disrupting groups and individuals who utilizeoverall since Dec. 1, 2006 to date surpass
firearms trafficking as a means to facilitate4,800 executions, demonstrate that in the
the drug trade on both sides of the bordercountry organized crime, the guerilla and
through the use of firearms illegallynarcotraffic have in their hands as many
obtained in the U.S. and subsequentlyweapons  as  the  national  government.
smuggled into Mexico. Mexican President
Calderon and Attorney General Medina MoraThe main clandestine entry of weapons into
have identified the cartel-related violencethe country is done through the northern
as a top priority and have proclaimed theborder and the Pacific, originating from the
illegal trafficking of U.S.-sourced firearmsbig American firms and from China, where
the "number one" crime problem affecting thethere is no control for the transfer of
security  of  Mexico  today.weapons produced by their five gigantic
firearms industries factories. For Georgina
ÂSanchez, a researcher with the Latin American
Social Sciences ("FLACSO") in Mexico, there
Public safety along the U.S.-Mexico borderis an amount estimated at between 12 and 20
has deteriorated considerably and Mexico hasmillion high power firearms, mostly AK-47s
seen nearly five years of intensified bloodyfrom China, and 40 million pistols and
turf battles between the major Mexican drugrifles, the majority of them in the hands of
cartels operating within Mexico. The ATFguerilla fighters, narcotraffickers and
claim that the battles for control overorganized  crime.
lucrative narco-corridors into the U.S. from
Mexico are the result of intense U.S. andÂ
Mexican law enforcement and military
counter-narcotics operations and extraditionsAs hard as one might fight (because in Mexico
that commenced in late 2003 targeting theno one has declared war on anyone else since
leaders of the most prolific Mexican drugthe EZLN did so on Jan. 1, 1994) against the
cartels. In seeking to gain control of thecriminals, nothing will be accomplished by
disputed corridors, namely the Baja/Tijuana,the federal, state and city governments as
Sonora/Nogales, Juarez/ Chihuahua and Nuevolong as firearms traffic is not brought to a
Laredo corridors, Mexican drug cartels andhalt."
their ruthless Mexican and American gang
enforcers have more aggressively turned toAs such, ATF is working with Mexican
the U.S. as a source of firearms. The weaponsofficials to increase their current usage of
are then used against other cartels, theATF's eTrace system. eTrace provides web
Mexican Military, Mexican and U.S. lawbased access to ATF's Firearms Tracing System
enforcement officials, as well as innocentto 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
Âcriminal investigation. eTrace allows law
enforcement to access their trace results
The ATF says that the intelligence gathereddirectly and offers the ability to generate
by them and other domestic Federal lawstatistical reports to analyze their trace
enforcement entities indicates that thedata to determine firearms trafficking trends
cartels or as they like to call them DTOsor 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 theconsulates in Mexico. This initiative
United States, to acquire firearms forshould increase the amount of trace
illegal transfer back to Mexico for use ininformation Mexico provides to ATF each year.
facilitating narco-trafficking and other
criminal  activities.Â
ÂATF is also part of the Administration's
recently announced "Merida initiative."Â
In analyzing the data collected through ATF'sMr. Hoover told the committee "This
investigative and regulatory operations thatinitiative is a comprehensive U.S. strategy
have been focused on the abatement of illegalto address drug smuggling, firearms
firearms trafficking to Mexico, there is moretrafficking, and increasing violence in
than enough evidence to indicate that over 90Mexico and Central America.  If the FY
percent of the firearms that have either been2008 supplemental is enacted, ATF would
recovered in, or interdicted in transport toreceive $2 million through the initiative to
Mexico, originated from various sourcesassist in the expansion of Spanish eTrace to
within the United States. An in-depth,countries in the Central America region. Â
comprehensive analysis of firearms trace dataFunding 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 mostcountries to assist them with firearms
prolific source states, respectively, fortrafficking issues. As part of the
firearms  illegally  trafficked  to  Mexico.proposed Spanish eTrace expansion, ATF would
provide training to Mexican and Central
ÂAmerican countries to ensure that the
technology is utilized to the greatest extent
Until recently, the Mexican drug cartelspossible."
"weapons of choice" had been .38 caliber
handguns. However, recent trace data ofÂ
firearms seized in Mexico and "Stateside"
interdictions of firearms bound for MexicoSources:
shows that cartel members and gang enforcers
have now developed a preference for higherÂ
quality, more powerful weapons. The most
common of these firearms now includes theNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FORMER BORDER PATROL
Colt AR-15 .223 caliber assault rifle, theOFFICERS
AK-47 "type/variant" 7.62 caliber assault
rifle, FN 5.57 caliber pistols (better knownUnited States House of Representatives
in Mexico as the "Cop Killer"… orCommittee on Foreign Affaires Subcommittee on
"Asesino de la Policia"). In conjunctionthe  Western  Â  Hemisphere
with the dramatic increase in U.S. source
firearms that have either been recovered inMexican  Federal  Government
Mexico, or interdicted prior to reaching
Mexico, ATF also routinely seizes small arms"O.E.M.



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