Mexico queries US gun smuggling operation

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Mexico has asked the US for detailed information on a law enforcement operation that allegedly allowed guns to be smuggled across the border.

The request follows media reports that US federal agents allowed hundreds of guns to be smuggled into Mexico in the hope of tracking the weapons to drug cartel leaders.

Some of the guns were reportedly later used in crimes including murder.

>

The ATF reportedly allowed 1,765 guns to be smuggled into Mexico over a 15 month period, including assault weapons and high-powered sniper rifles.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12660732

[WatsonT]

1. I'm curious how many American guns

they find among drug dealers were in fact military hardware we sold to the Mexican army that then 'fell off a truck' and wound up with the cartels.

Corruption is a huge problem there. And when the people in charge of fixing this mess cannot be trusted I don't see an easy way to fix the problem.

[TheWraith]

2. As bad as this is, it's not the real problem.

The weapons used by the main cartels are mostly military spec weapons that civilians can't buy in the US. But the Mexican army can, and a large amount of their weapons end up being "lost."

The photo below is the aftermath of a raid on a cartel house in Mexico. At the bottom of the picture, you'll see a pair of US mil-spec M4 rifles in the SBR configuration. Above those are what appears to be three M249 light machine guns with underslung 40mm grenade launchers. The green and yellow canisters above and to the right of these are the 40mm high explosive grenades.

All of these things originate in the US, but none are sold on the civilian market.

[AlbertCat]

3. Oh! (wringing hands) How can we possibly solve this problem???

Well, let's see...how can we even reduce this problem?


How about: