Mexican authorities and analysts have once again turned their attention to the flow of illegal firearms across the northern border, after data revealed that about 70 percent of weapons seized from criminal organizations in Mexico can be traced back to the United States.
The finding underscores a long-standing complaint from Mexican officials, who argue that lax gun sales rules in several US border states make it easy for straw buyers to purchase rifles and pistols legally and then smuggle them south, where they end up in the hands of drug cartels and other armed groups.
Mexico has previously taken its case to US courts, arguing that American gun manufacturers and dealers bear some responsibility for fueling violence south of the border, a stance that has drawn pushback from firearms industry groups and some US lawmakers who say enforcement, not manufacturing, is the real gap.
The renewed statistics are likely to add pressure on both governments to strengthen cooperation on tracing weapons and cracking down on trafficking networks, a persistent friction point in the broader US-Mexico security relationship.
For the full report and details on the data behind these figures, read the original story at La Jornada.
Source: Llegan de EU 7 de cada 10 armas que usa el crimen (jornada.com.mx).
Image: U.S. Marshals Service, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).