Officers foundthree rifles, eight pistols, several magazines and more than 4,700 rounds, including a bag of bullets under Vasquez's seat and more ammunition wrapped in tape and plastic and tucked inside a hidden compartment between the exterior and interior paneling. Hesometimes loaned his SUV tohis employees and his relatives and argues that one of them could have hidden the guns, Martinez said. A gold plated pistol and jewelry, allegedly seized from Manuel Alquisires Garcia, alias "El Meme," sit on display during his presentation to the press of in Mexico City, Monday Sept. 12, 2011. Blaming Californias laws for failing is about as stupid as blaming Blaming Democrats for inter city crime but thats another story thats way over your head. But, who gave the arms to the Mexican cartels? The No. The cartels then use their members or contract with associates to serve as"consolidators.". I came here to say this. The Insider: Reggie Yates - Episode 2: Mexican Army: War Against Powerful and Violent Drug Cartels | Crime DocumentaryThe Insider: Reggie Yates - Episode 1: . It got to the point where we would give the ATF our cellphone numbers. Its compactness makes it easy to conceal and some versions can hold a 30-round magazine, made of lightweight polymer. NEW YORK (AP) A former Mexican presidential cabinet member was convicted in the U.S. on Tuesday of taking massive bribes to protect the violent drug cartels he was tasked with combating. Formed by ex-military men who became armed enforcers for the Gulf Cartel, the Zetas split with their former patrons nearly three years ago and have since become one of Mexico's largest and most . [most of his city is north of the border so that shouldnt be a surprise. Into Mexico.. Our own government is gifting military weapons to Mexico & those arms are being used by the cartels. Also FN57 pistols but, the Barretts were the big one. That's the NRA position.". NSSF: The Firearms Industry Is Committed to Real Solutions, Todays Hot Weather Daytime Carry: Everyday Carry Pocket Dump of the Day, State Judge Issues Order Blocking Enforcement of Illinois Firearms Ban Statewide, Federal Judge Grants Injunction Blocking Enforcement of ATFs Frame or Receiver Rule, Protecting and Serving: Springfield, IL Police Seized Homeowners Gun After Investigating Her Report of a Prowler UPDATED, https://www.npr.org/2019/02/21/696561255/heckler-koch-fined-4-2-million-over-assault-rifle-sales-in-mexico, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Drug_War. California, by contrast, accounted for 90 guns, three percent of the total. Ebrard said about 60% of the weapons seized in Mexico in recent years were believed to have been sold in 10 U.S. counties, mostly along the border. But, the ATF's "sell guns to cartels and then maybe try to catch them if we've got time" plan actually dates back to the Bush Administration. Weapons and jewelry seized to alleged leader of "El Cartel del Golfo" Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez, aka "El Coss", are presented to the press in Mexico City, on September 13, 2012. Reports suggest the Fast and Furious guns are tied to at least 69 killings. You also said: "But we also know most of the violence the Mexican government is concerned about against police and against institutions is coming from CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel" run by the notorious kingpin "El Chapo,"Lestrange said. Dear Mexico: clean up your own house before telling us how to take care of ours. In Mexico, the weapon has disrupted the balance of power between criminal groupsand poorly equippedpoliceforces, according to Romain Le Cour Grandmaison, Program Director at the Mexico and Central America Office of Noria, a think tank. Officers found all of those brands, except Century Arms,in the shipments smuggled by Diaz, court records show. Officials in Mexicowhich has just one gun store and issues fewer than 50 gun permits ayearblame lax U.S. gun laws and the prevalence of gun shops in Americafor the bulk of weapons that allow cartels to flourish. ", Yvonne Hemsey/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. We had four or five come in that first guy came in five or six times, saying he was starting a collection. So, the ATF was like, "We'll show you! We were placing special orders with Barrett because we couldn't keep up demand. The "El Presidente" model is popular in Mexico because it is one of the few guns legally available there, according to the Violence Policy Center. After his arrest, Diaz told agents with Homeland Security Investigations he was paid $5,000 upfront to smuggle "fierros," Spanish for "iron," which he understood to be guns,across the border. The gun should not be in the hands of civilians, the official said. At one point, it was probably four to five of these rifles a week. SALT LAKE CITY A Utah woman is heading to federal prison for buying dozens of high powered rifles for Mexican drug cartel members. The customized gold-plated handgun of Jaime Gonzalez Duran, aka "Hummer", founder of a group of hitmen called the "Zetas", shown to the press at the hangar of the Federal Police in Mexico City, on November 7, 2008. Withhold all federal funds from any state if it or any locality is found in violation. Today, the two primary uses of the Barrett are "anti-material" (aka destroying enemy vehicles) and "ridiculous toy for rich people." Even ballistic helmets were seen in use. Seriously, I feel your pain. I hear Chinese AK-74 types a. Violence is rampant across Mexico. Fast and Furious was a Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) "gunrunning" operation in which the Obama administration allowed guns to be sold to Mexican drug cartels in the hope the weapons would be recovered at crime scenes. Newsweek, the defunct print magazine, reports that Mexican drug and crime cartels prefer American-made guns to use against their rivals and innocent Mexican civilians. You try and keep it as normal as possible; you don't want to spook him because then everything's shot as well. But as the government attempts to stem the flow of drugs across the US border - it is these military-grade guns which are being smuggled in the other direction. Hundreds of firearms on display before being destroyed at . Drug cartels have been using monster type armored cars for about 15 years these recent photos clashes in tamaulipas between cdn and cdg they use m82 m017 barrets also m2 machine guns and 40mm grenades this doesn't happen very far from egle pass texas or mcallen texas . build the wall you promised us! . A total of 852, 29 percent, were from Arizona. Sept. 7, 2010 -- A shocking new report obtained by ABC News says that as many as three out of four guns used in crimes in Mexico and recovered and capable of being traced can be traced to gun . California gun-control activists credited that state's low total to strict state firearms laws that severely limit sales of military-style weaponry. Sorry, man -- at least 150 Mexican civilians have been hurt or killed by weapons the ATF let enter Mexico. Theyre American-made guns, Sotomayor told the Union-Tribune. How does the cartel feel about branded accessories? I do like tacos though. Theyre American-made guns, Sotomayor told the Union-Tribune. It is not clear if Century Arms imported the Draco in that case. In fact, according to Newsweek, cartel criminals view American guns as status symbols because, well, they work. Between 2009 and 2020, authorities seized 358 M82rifles, according to official figures cited by the Milenio newspaper. Also, follow us on Facebook, and we'll follow you forever. Two women were killed in the crossfire when rival gangs started shooting at a popular sidewalk restaurant in Tulum. Well short answer. Drug cartels are known for heinous acts of violence and blatant disregard for law, but one more thing the outlaws are known for is their taste for the most luxurious items. What i believe is that If i want to sale you ballons ,i give you a good price nd you will greatly say my ballons are the best .. quoteTijuanas Director of Public Safety, Marco Antonio Sotomayor, says most of the guns flowing into his city come from north of the border.quote. It depicts one cartel member dressed in a garish shirt, cowboy hat and belt buckle. Of course, these same quoted Mexican officials made no mention of changing their own to laws to allow the little people to own some cold steel with which they could protect themselves and their families from corrupt federales and cartel predators. Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? All the illegal purchases followed the same basic pattern, "They would always call, because they always wanted to know the exact amount ahead of time -- usually same day -- and make sure we had one in stock. "As a result of the continued use and possession of many of these guns, residents of Mexico will continue to be killed and injured by these guns, and the public will continue to fear for their health, safety, and welfare," Americanattorneys wrote in the suit on behalf of Mexico. One room of the museum is dedicated to narco culture. Im having a memory lapsewhich guns are made in Mexico, exactly? Mexico: U.S. Supplies 90% Of Cartel's Guns. Never mind that the majority of the cartels armament needs are met by leaks of official weaponry bought by the Mexican military. "Almost all guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico 70% to 90% of them were trafficked from the U.S.," the Mexican government claims in its complaint. WASHINGTON Convicted gun smuggler John Phillip Hernandez of Houston was likely not the kind of customer that Bushmaster Firearms International had in mind when he purchased 14 of the company's .223 caliber AR-15s at Houston area gun shops in 2006 and 2007. MLB legend makes surprise appearance at Astros' Spring Training, Hiker takes 'once-in-a-lifetime' photo at Brazos Bend State Park, Eric Gordon trade looking better and better for Houston Rockets, This Texas Hill Country town is the new, cooler Fredericksburg, This is what Houston looks like from space, Oops! In Michoacn, the global powerhouse Crtel Jalisco Nueva Generacin, or CJNG, has been engaged in a long and deadly battle with Sinaloa and other rival cartels. ATF agents say almost 100 of those weapons have turned up at cartel-related crime scenes in. Cant have all those firearms in the USA, so lets pipeline them to Mexico. Email us here. A close reading of the motion referenced above suggests that the deal with the Sinaloa drug gang may have included shipments of guns to the cartel to be used to thin out the ranks of rival drug . Between all the illegal guns and millions in gold, jewelry and diamonds, there are armed guards on constant watch. *awkward shrug*, Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images. It makes Americas 1930s Gangster Era a minor skirmish by comparison, and it has lasted much longer too. Bushmaster describes the AR-15 rifle, a civilian version of the U.S. military's standard-issue M-16, as intended "for law enforcement, security and private consumer use." Cartels:As Mexican drug groups cut in on avocado sales by extorting growers, armed locals fight back. Since the federal law banning assault weapons expired in 2004, so-called "straw purchasers" have flooded U.S. gun stores in the Southwest, mostly in Texas and Arizona, sweeping up these and other weapons. It all started in 2017, when Norma Llamas Rodriguez, 47,. Tijuanas Director of Public Safety, Marco Antonio Sotomayor, says most of the guns flowing into his city come from north of the border. See any connections here? More than 40 people have been charged in the Upstate of South Carolina as part of a drug-trafficking case known as "Las Seoritas," according to Attorney General Alan Wilson . And four years ago, two sons of El Chapo Guzmn were kidnapped in another restaurant 500 meters from where they shot the former governor two days ago. All wars are fought with weapons, and the guns used to murder tens of thousands of people in the Mexican War on Drugs mostly come from America.From handguns,. A gun that can shoot through tanks is pretty useful for that. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Further investigation revealed that from Jan. 21, 2020 to July 11, 2022, Hernandez had purchased 231 handguns 9mm's, .380's and .22's which officials suspect he smuggled into Mexico. We were a large store you meet these border patrol agents coming to pick up extra stuff. Same questions. John Allen Muhammad, the D.C. sniper, and his youthful accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, used a Bushmaster .223 in nine of 10 sniper-style murders that terrorized the Washington area in 2002. Gold-plated, diamond-encrusted weapons are shown to the press after they were confiscated when the army seized a ranch in Zapopan, Mexico, Sunday, May 2, 2010. weapons to Mexico. Oh. In summer, a command intercepted a dozen tourists after being mistaken for members of a rival cartel. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration blames CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel for the bulk of America's illicit fentanyl, the top killer during the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history. U.S. Customs agents searched hisvehicle at the Eagle Passcrossing and found 43 shotguns, rifles and pistols. It is also one of the weapons of choice for drug cartels, according to the. Barretts were basically the only gun the cartels wanted, and while they are both ridiculous and rich, we get the strange feeling these weren't meant as toys " it started to get more and more severe. He claimed he didn't know the names of the gun buyers or their cartel affiliations. Explain again how the two assists are not in prison for supplying weapons to know criminals that used the weapons to kill US citizens. That sounds great, but the agent working with our source and his store told everyone that the charges wouldn't stick: "Our agent was pretty candid with us: He let us know the guys doing it had been arrested. Alfred Guzman and Ivan Guzman are the sons of Joaqun (El Chapo) Guzmn Loera better known as the infamous kingpin of the Sinaloa cartel, which is North America's post powerful, and feared, organization trafficking drugs and laundering money worldwide. They're probably gonna go to super-prison for that. Somehow, gum made out of tree bark is still softer than Bazooka. Now I cannot make this any more simple for you to understand. He expected to be paid anadditional $5,000 once the guns were delivered toMichoacn, Mexico, according to court records. GREENVILLE, S.C. . Theycould each face up to 10 years in prison. Because they could be doing a hell of a lot more to fight smuggling into the country and to protect their own good guy guns from being stolen. A jury didn't believe him,convictingJose RafaelVasquez last month of attempting to smuggle goods out of the country. He likes tacos. It's a more powerful version of the Beretta popularized in James Bond novels and films. ", The cartels were smart enough to pick buyers who wouldn't instantly set off alarm bells (aka clean-cut and often white). Straw purchases for others are a violation of federal firearms law. November 23, 2022 Contact: Phone Number: (571) 387-3831 For Immediate Release Debt Collector and Drug Distributor for Cartel Connected, Violent, Drug Distribution Ring, Sentenced to 10 years in Prison Previous slide Next slide Handgun in leather holster Plastic bag of fentanyl pills Move slider to item #1 Move slider to item #2 In addition to weapons from the States working better, Mexico cartels view firearms as status symbols, retired DEA agent Jack Riley told The San Diego Union-Tribune: It is really important to these criminal organizations, who stay in business by the threat of violence and through the use of violence; and the tools that they prefer to do that with are American-made guns.. So CA is itself one of those neighboring States that is (cough) responsible for illegal firearms/use across a boundry? "It's hard to pinpoint exactly where we think a particular load (of guns) we seized was going,"Lestrange said. The group decries the name "assault weapon" and refers to high-powered guns as "modern sporting rifles." El Mencho:Daughter of Mexican cartel boss sentenced to US prison for violation of Kingpin Act. At the same time, Mexico remains a cautionary preview of what might happen in America if we adopted Mexican-style gun control. See I figured they were big fans of German guns, going back to that huge illegal arms contract HK won for the cartels awhile back. AP/Eduardo Verdugo. Get the best of Cracked sent directly to your inbox! Why Mexico Is Right to Sue U.S. Earlier this month, theMexican government sued U.S. gun manufacturers in federal court, accusing them of fueling the violence. An estimated 20 attorneys, many based in Texas, are expected to unite to represent Mexico,including six companies they blame for the bulk of recovered crime guns there:Smith & Wesson, Beretta, Century Arms, Colt, Glockand Ruger. Of those murders, at least 20,005 were carried out with guns. Our source and his manager didn't call the authorities immediately -- buying a fancy gun with cash isn't illegal; otherwise, how would we have rap videos? The raw power of therifle, which weighs about 31 lb and is 4.9 feet long, was on show in mid-2020 during a military-style assassination attempt on Mexico Cityspolicechief that was captured by surveillance cameras. Scarface stars Pacino as the indelible gangster and charts his rise as a Cuban immigrant-turned-cocaine cartel captain . According to prosecutors, the weapons are believed to belong to the Valencia gang, allies of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, and most of the 31 pistols found in the raid had gold or silver-plated grips or glittered with diamonds. We know theyre being illegally trafficked through California into Tijuana. [Theres no way for people to buy guns like those in California, either; they are not ban compliant], In 2018, the homicide rate in Mexico hit a record high of 35,964, spiking 12 percent from the year before, according to the countrys National Institute of Statistics and Geography. Build the wall. If the laws actually worked, wouldnt Arizona, New Mexico, or Texas be the easier route? . Not many, but America and Mexico arent the only countries making guns. Dear Mexico: clean up your own house before telling us how to take care of ours.. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers with an Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team were screening traffic headed out of Laredo on the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge in October when they noticed a bundle under the carriage of Vasquez's SUV, secured with black ties. Modern optics, including AimPoint types and the distinctive Vism ECO 434 model were seen. For those who never heard about this story. Barn Brain also conveniently ignores the fact that there are gunsmiths in the U.S. and Mexico that regularly convert semi-auto American made guns to full auto as well and yes they are second hand guns not vetted that come from the U.S. Guns and munitions confiscated from alleged Mexican drug dealers Alberto Sanchez Hinojosa aka "El Tony", Francisco Arteaga Espino and Leonel Cruz Hernandez are displayed to the press in Mexico City on September 7, 2008, after they were detained in Villahermosa, Tabasco state. Acosta and others like him across the. The survey drawn from guns identified by manufacturer or importer in U.S. court documents from 44 cases involving 165 defendants in Texas, Arizona and three other states shows the purveyors of guns to Mexican drug traffickers followed a time-honored maxim of product salesmanship: Bigger is definitely better. DEA agents say the cartel was trying to instill fear in its enemies and woo new members. Workers repair the facade of City Hall riddled with bullet holes in Villa Union, Mexico, in December 2019, after a gun battle between a heavily armed drug cartel assault group and security forces. Agents launched 534 investigations, seized $29 million and intercepted more than 1,200 guns, 4,700 magazines for semi-automatic and automatic weapons and 700,000 rounds of ammunition headed to. Guns Drive Cartel Violence in Mexico. To lose that many military, cops, politicians and citizens murdered by gangsters is phenomenal. It's made it easier than ever to drive to any Texas gun shop and legally stockpile guns, whether or not the customers belong to a Mexican cartel. The Mexican government estimates that more than half a million guns are smuggled from the U.S. each year, arming Mexico's deadly cartel wars. ", Well, worry not, James, because the victims were mostly-, "And it's not gonna feel any better if I hear about some village in Mexico getting wiped out.". Guns and munitions confiscated to alleged Mexican drug dealers Alberto Sanchez Hinojosa aka "El Tony", Francisco Arteaga Espino and Leonel Cruz Hernandez are displayed to the press in Mexico City on September 7, 2008. How about we lock up a guy who sold the cartels weapons used to kill people including Brian Terry. That figures to 17.6 percent of the 29,000 figure for guns seized in Mexico, as given by the country's attorney general. I would like to buy Holder and Obama for what they are worth, to sell them for what they THINK theyre worth. Blood Gun Money: How America Arms Gangs and Cartels. The government accuses gun makers and suppliers of knowingly flooding the market with firearms attractive to drug cartels. The arrests on January 19 are the result of Operation Semper Infidelis, a Los Angeles Strike Force investigation that targeted a domestic weapons trafficking organization that provided firearms and ammunition to the Crtel Jalisco Nueva Generacin (CJNG), one of the largest and most violent drug cartels in Mexico. Eighty-seven percent of traceable firearms seized by the Mexican government have been traced back to the U.S. We've inadvertently "gifted" Mexico with more than 64,000 firearms over the last five years. But in all honesty the article above does not tell the whole truth about illegal guns in Mexico or South America as drug gangs also get guns from international arms traffickers as well, especially factory made full auto weapons. Under tight security, an anonymous New York federal court jury deliberated for three days before reaching a verdict in the drug trafficking case against ex-Public Security Secretary Genaro Garca Luna. He was badly wounded, while two bodyguards and an innocent bystander were killed. Yet, none of that is relevant, history is often forgotten. But the weapons that Hernandez and his associates purchased ended up in the hands of Mexican drug cartel pistoleros, including the Bushmaster .223 that was later used to kill four police officers and three secretaries in Acapulco. Not the party of civil rights,, wait the Democratic Party is not nor has it ever been the Party of Civil Rights as it has always opposed and still opposes the Constitution; it has been and continues to be the Party of Civil Right Suppression, the Party of Slavery, the Party of the KKK, the Party who opposed voting rights,, (just Google it, Google any historic Democratic Politician in history). And that region continues struggling with. "Operation Wide Receiver" was a subset of the overall project, centered around Arizona. In Mexico City, the military has a museum used to train officials, diplomats, and cadets about the war on drugs. The drug bust was a multi-agency effort involving the. Ban assault weapons, high capacity magazines, body armor, silencers. (zero miles currently built 1 mo gov shut down trump heights built tho??? Among Mexican traffickers, it has earned itself the nickname "cuerno de chivo" or "goat horn" because of its distinctive banana-shaped magazine. "It doesn't say anything about conduct of retailer, manufacturer or purchaser.". It costs between $8,000 and $10,000, and it can literally put a bullet through most light tanks. MEXICO CITY, Aug 6 The flow of high-caliber arms smuggled across the porousUS border has alarmedMexicanofficials and few weapons are as powerful as theUS-made M82 semi-automaticrifleincreasingly favored by the powerfuldrugcartels. Army officials said they confiscated 288 assault rifles, 500,000 rounds of ammunition, numerous grenades and several .50-caliber rifles at a house in the city of Reynosa, across the border from McAllen, Texas. (PS, you may want to arm your Civilians so they can fight the cartel) An Italian-made 9mm pistol that is a best-seller among U.S. law enforcement agencies. Would they be interested in Hello Kitty grips or SpongeBob sights? Mexican military forces confiscated 71 armor-piercing 50-caliber gunsin the year ending January 2020, according to the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Mexico. As Mexican drug groups cut in on avocado sales by extorting growers, armed locals fight back, Daughter of Mexican cartel boss sentenced to US prison for violation of Kingpin Act. One of the most dangerous pockets of Mexico City: Teptio, the primary-black market area, under the thumb of the Union Cartel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Drug_War. In the past, Jalisco has obtained squad machine guns, .50-caliber sniper rifles and 40mm grenades and launchers. Mexico remains a cautionary preview of what might happen in America if we adopted Mexican-style gun control.. Try again Jethro your out of your league. I would be one of the richest people on the planet. Of theguns used in crimes in Mexico and traced back to the United States, about 41% camefrom Texas, he said. This story has been shared 100,034 times. "Operation Fast And Furious," the one you've actually heard about, launched in 2009. I think thats pretty fair. Exactly, if America had adopted Mexican-style gun control, it probably wouldve had as many mass shootings as Mexico has had in the past 30 years. Serial numbers really do tell a story. Did they buy ammo? So, the ATF was like, "We'll show you! Some are Russian, some Cuban made. That leaves the military as the only ones able to battle thecartels.. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., pressed Garland regarding the opioid epidemic, highlighting that fentanyl is responsible for more deaths than guns and car accidents. View of cartridges and weapons from the gangsters and drug-traffickers at the Military Headquarter in Mexico City, on November 7, 2008. When he entered office in 2006, Caldern immediately moved on the cartels. 3. https://tucson.com/news/national/mexican-drug-cartels-using-grenades/article_9bafe2d8-ecf2-5925-8e85-167e066dd2e9.html. American firearms power a brutal conflict that has claimed more than 100,000 lives. Not all of them went to prison, and none of them were cartel bigwigs. Total dead including common citizens, murdered politicians and cartel members was at 115,000 estimated for 2006 thru 2018. A Dallas man claimed he didn't knowassault rifles, pistols and ammunitionwere hidden in his silver SUV as he attempted to cross into Mexico from Laredo, Texas. CJNG is based in Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city, in the state of Jalisco. The main character, Franklin is brilliant. It weighs around 30 pounds and costs as much as a damn car. By the way, where were these officials when the Obama administration was running guns into Mexico as part of Operation Fast and Furious? Are ticket costs pricing Houston Astros fans out of Opening Day? From 2006 to 2013, the program expanded until it exploded into the stupidly named "Fast And Furious" scandal. A gold-plated AK-47 rifle seized to alleged leader of "The Resistance" drugs cartel, Ramiro Pozos Gonzalez, aka "El Molca", is presented to the press in Mexico City, on September 12, 2012. Our source and his employer had just been drawn into the ATF's latest kooky adventure. I could have sworn that at one time there was a federal law that banned face masks, a law intended to force the KKK out into the open. For more insider perspectives, check out 5 Insane Things I Learned About Drugs As An Undercover Agent and 6 Ways Life In Cartel-Run Mexico Is Nothing Like You Imagine. Typically, the purchaser turns the guns over to a broker who takes them across the border to Mexico, where such weapons cannot be bought legally. Mexican Drug Cartels Agree: American-Made Guns Are the Best, Mexican drug and crime cartels prefer American-made guns. If our source's store had just followed their guts and refused to sell to the most obviously sketchy buyers, the world would've been a little bit safer. ", After a couple weeks of escalating sketchiness, they reported the straw purchasers to the ATF, who immediately showed up to shut this shit d-, Sean Rayford/Getty Images News/Getty Images, Nope! So, you would come in, say hello, shoot the shit, ask him about his kid. quoteClown shoes.quote. Diaz's attorney, Gregory Torres, declinedcomment. I mean the cartels. They weren't tracking them well enough; everyone made it over the border. These agencies team withthe U.S. Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, Firearms and Explosivesto investigate the financing, transportation, and communications methods of smuggling networks. To intercept more Mexico-bound guns, the U.S. Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy of 2020, of the National Drug Control Policy, vowed that "the United States will improve criminal-intelligence and information-sharing for illegal weapons trafficking and enhance cooperation with international partners.". Meanwhile, check out this picture of a gun cache from El Chapo's hide-out: That's a Barrett .50 caliber rifle, confirmed to have gotten to Mexico via the ATF's gun-running program.