U.S. Police Seize Guns Bound For Mexico

[Guest SUNTZU]

Article

Police in Texas have seized a cache of weapons allegedly being smuggled to drug gangs in Mexico.

The haul, in Laredo on the US-Mexico border, included assault rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

Police say it was one of the largest weapons shipments found in recent years. Two men have been arrested.

The seizure comes two weeks after Mexican President Felipe Calderon urged US lawmakers to help stem the flow of weapons to Mexico.

'Tremendous blow' Texas police say they acted on a tip-off and stopped a truck. Inside, they found 147 assault rifles, 53 bayonets and more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition they believe were heading across the border to Mexico.

"This is one of the biggest cases we've ever seen here in this city," Laredo police officer Alberto Escobedo told Reuters.

"It's a tremendous blow to drug traffickers and organised crime."

In a speech to Congress last month, President Calderon said 75,000 weapons had been seized in three years - and 80% of those that could be traced had come from the US.

President Obama has said that US demand for drugs has contributed to the violence in Mexico, and that the flow of guns from the US to Mexico must be stopped.

Drug-related violence in Mexico has left some 23,000 people dead since President Calderon came to office in December 2006 and launched a crackdown on drug gangs.

Article

This one is from 2009.

U.S. and Mexican authorities are working closely to curb the illegal trade in arms to Mexico, where more than 7,000 people have been murdered by the cartels since the start of last year.

The Department of Homeland Security said border police in Arizona seized 10 guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition hidden in a pickup truck bound for Mexico on Saturday, and arrested two men, a Mexican and a U.S. citizen.

In two separate operations in south Texas last week, border police seized guns, bullets, rifle barrels, firearm accessories and gun powder from vehicles headed to Mexico, and arrested a U.S. citizen and a Mexican national, the DHS said in a news release.

Gun sales are heavily restricted in Mexico. Investigators say nine out of 10 guns retrieved from crime scenes south of the border are traced back to U.S. gun dealers.

On Monday, a Phoenix gun dealer went on trial on charges he sold hundreds of weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles, to smugglers knowing they would send them to a powerful cartel in Sinaloa state on Mexico's Pacific coast.

Mexican cartels pose a clear threat to U.S. national security, Vice President Joe Biden said on Wednesday as he named a drug czar to lead the U.S. fight against narco-trafficking.

"Violent drug trafficking organizations threaten both the United States and Mexican communities," Biden said at a ceremony to nominate Seattle police chief Gil Kerlikowske as the country's new drug czar.

U.S. Senate lawmakers are to hold two hearings in coming weeks to assess the ability of U.S. security forces to handle the rise in crime on the U.S. side of the border related to Mexican traffickers.

[Guest jackdm3]

"and 80% of those that could be traced had come from the US."

IMPOSSIBLE!!!

We don't trace weapons, right?

[mikegideon]

It will be interesting to find the source of those guns.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Don't recall where I read it-- Or maybe it was on a news show-- Someone alleged that Mexico doesn't trace a very big percentage of seized/recovered guns.

If true (dunno), perhaps the percentage would be about the same with a larger statistical sample? Or perhaps not.

If a lot of the siezed guns look south asian or east european-- Wonder if Mexican officials would be as likely to trace those, compared to ferinstance AR's or USA 1911's?

How much luck would they have tracing a Pakistani or Egyptian AK? Why bother?

[Guest KevinG]

I have read somewhere that they only trace guns with serial numbers. Only guns made for the U.S. and a few European countries are made with a serial number. If they aren't made to be sold in those countries, they don't have a number. Somewhere around 90% of the guns found in Mexico doesn't have a serial number, so they aren't submitted for being traced. That leaves 10% that are made with a serial number. So you have 90% of the 10% submitted that are originated in the U.S.

[Guest That Guy]

"and 80% of those that could be traced had come from the US."

IMPOSSIBLE!!!

We don't trace weapons, right?

LOL. +1

[Tim Nunan]

"AK 47 assault rifles" Wonder how many were semiauto - not the auto that is implied by the articles.

[Guest Knightsr25]

Does anyone here really believe that the drug cartels have to buy their guns from the USA through legal channels or straw purchases ? If you have seen their weaponry you would know that it is 90%+ military origin . When you have that much money from illegal activities , illegal , military weapons are not difficult to afford .

[GLOCKMEISTER]

you guys would crap if you only knew how much of this was really true... lol

[Trekbike]

Police say it was one of the largest weapons shipments found in recent years. Two men have been arrested.

The seizure comes two weeks after Mexican President Felipe Calderon urged US lawmakers to help stem the flow of weapons to Mexico.

Very coincidental on the timing if I do so...maybe a little too coincidental.

[DaveTN]

Does anyone here really believe that the drug cartels have to buy their guns from the USA through legal channels or straw purchases ? If you have seen their weaponry you would know that it is 90%+ military origin . When you have that much money from illegal activities , illegal , military weapons are not difficult to afford .

Absolutely. They can buy the real deal full auto AK’s directed from the source. They don’t need the neutered stuff we have here.

And when did drug cartels start using bayonets?

It would be real interesting to find out exactly what these “assault rifles†were and where they came from.

I’m picturing Hillary paying a couple of bums to run a load of Mosin Nagant’s across the border so she can act like she has even a little bit of a clue about what is going on.

[eapking]

I have read somewhere that they only trace guns with serial numbers. Only guns made for the U.S. and a few European countries are made with a serial number. If they aren't made to be sold in those countries, they don't have a number. Somewhere around 90% of the guns found in Mexico doesn't have a serial number, so they aren't submitted for being traced. That leaves 10% that are made with a serial number. So you have 90% of the 10% submitted that are originated in the U.S.

I think that's what the NRA is saying, that they only trace 10%, so do the math. The number is way lower than what Calderon, the antis, etc. want you to hear.

[Mike.357]

147 assault rifles, 53 bayonets and more than 10,000 rounds

those numbers really don't impress me much. 53 bayonets????? What is this WW1?

and 10,000 rounds is not a whole lot. 147 assault rifles? I bet someone on this site has more.

[Will Carry]

53 bayonets! WTF! They must have Flea Markets in Mexico. I ain't sayin' that the Mexican Druggies don't get guns from the US, since our boarder is so unsecured, but it's seems that they could get'em cheaper from Southeast Asia or South America.

Edited June 4, 2010 by Will Carry

[ttocswob]

Didn't the BATFE seize a bunch from TGI a while back?

...wonder where those are now?

[towerclimber37]

you guys would crap if you only knew how much of this was really true... lol

Ok, how much of this is really true?

color me curious!