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