Posted on 03/10/2009 4:48:41 PM PDT by kellynla
CBS) In Phoenix Monday, a gun dealer went on trial for supplying assault rifles to Mexican drug gangs who are locked in a bloody war with authorities -- and each other. CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports on a case that's being watched closely in both the United States, and in Mexico.
In the escalating drug war south of the border, Mexican cartels supply the drugs, but the guns largely come from the United States.
"Firearms trafficking to Mexico is a huge problem," says Phoenix ATF agent William Newell. "Drugs go north, guns come south."
George Iknadosian is accused of being a top gun-supplier. When government agents raided his Phoenix gun shop last May, they found hundreds of weapons allegedly destined for Mexico. He's now on trial, accused of knowingly selling more than 700 guns to so-called straw buyers - U.S. citizens who buy the guns legally and then turn them over to a trafficker.
"They get $100 for their trouble, and the trafficker will take the gun down to Mexico and sell it for exponentially more than they pay here," says ATF agent Peter Forcelli.
As many as 2,000 firearms are believed to cross the border into Mexico every day. And they are often assault weapons, Tracy reports.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
Also, if a person walks in the door and produces a valid (looking at least) picture ID and passes a background check the dealer has to sell him/her the weapons they choose. If the dealer refuses to sell on the basis that the customer looks like (Mexican) drug cartel folks the gun dealer will quickly find themselves right smack in the middle of a discrimination lawsuit.
If Americans don't like that then they need to change the laws.
We are at the point where 98% of so-called news (aka proaganda) coming out of the BATF and its parent, the (in)Justice Dept should be considered suspect and questioned.
Your dead on accurate with that post WD !
And if the agent knows he made such sales, why in the hell didn’t he bust the buyers/resalers?
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