Posted on 05/25/2008 6:26:42 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
(Editor's note: This is Part I of a two-part series on Project Gunrunner, an operation by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives designed to reduce international gunrunning. This part of the series details the extent of the problem.)
Federal agents working along the Texas-Mexico border have noticed drug cartels have a new affinity for a particular type of firearm.
"It's a 5.7 (mm)," said Elias Bazan, the resident agent in charge of the Laredo field office of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "In Mexico, they already call it the ‘cop killer.' It's a very powerful little handgun. Here recently, that has been more a weapon of choice."
Chances the "mata policias" or "cop killer," found its way into Mexico through the Southwest border are likely, according to figures the ATF released to Laredo Morning Times.
Texas has been the No. 1 source of firearms recovered in Mexico and submitted to U.S. authorities for tracing the past three fiscal years.
In 2005, 1,014 firearms recovered by Mexican officials came from Texas. In 2006 that number fell to 342, but then skyrocketed to 729 in 2007. California ranked second, with 569, 220 and 217 in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively.
The data was compiled as part of the ATF's Project Gunrunner, initiated to help stop the arsenals used by Mexican cartels from heading south.
Though the ATF has investigated arms smuggling since its inception, Bazan said Project Gunrunner began as a national campaign in 2007 with two goals in mind: to create a national depository for all intelligence related to arms trafficking; and to help stop the flow of arms used by Mexican drug cartels in their day-to-day operations. This year alone, authorities believe warring cartels are responsible for more than 300 killings in Mexico, mostly along the Texas-Mexico border.
Unlike drug purchases, which can involve clandestine maneuvering to conceal the merchandise, many of the guns used in Mexico are bought in the open market at gun shows in the United States.
That, Bazan said, is one of the ATF's biggest challenges.
"Unfortunately, when you go to a gun show, there are really not a whole lot of restrictions," he said. "If you're a licensed dealer trying to sell guns at a gun show, you are obligated by law to run criminal history checks on people.
"However … any person who labels his collection of guns as a ‘personal collection' is allowed to sell those guns as a personal collection and, therefore, not obligated to run a personal history check."
Even with background checks, straw buyers ensure gunrunners are able to take their loads south.
"The ATF calls it ‘lying and buying,' " Bazan said. "You could take an illegal alien, a convicted felon, anybody that's prohibited by law to purchase weapons, and all you have to do is pay someone else to basically sign the form and purchase as many weapons as he wants to. That's a big problem for us."
So much, in fact, the ATF has recently launched a campaign, dubbed "Don't Lie for the Other Guy," to educate potential straw buyers about repercussions.
Bazan said the guns purchased in the U.S. have an obvious destination.
"Based on our investigations here in Laredo … we are pretty certain that the firearms are destined to drug-trafficking organizations."
And gun shows aren't hard to find, adding to the formidable task of stopping the weapons flow.
"I think they are year-round," Bazan said. "I think that any given weekend, a person, a gun enthusiast, can probably find a gun show somewhere between Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Corpus Christi or McAllen. There has got to be a gun show just about every weekend."
The weapons bought and sold range from the "cop killer" and other small-caliber weapons, to machine guns, tear-gas launchers and even a few the ATF simply labels as "destructive devices."
Restrictions in Mexico on gun purchases lead many people to travel north to stock their respective arsenals, using the resources supplied by drug deals on the same trip to purchase their weapons.
"You bring the drugs north, you sell them, you use some of the money to buy guns," said ATF spokeswoman Franceska Perot. "It's just like any commercial trucker. He doesn't want to make any trip without a load."
Bazan said a department within a cartel is assigned the task of accomplishing each mission, be it selling drugs or buying guns.
"It is the same organization, but I think that it's more specialized," he said. "One group will hire another to go make some buys and even make it down to another group to transfer them down south, but it's broken down into specialty."
Acknowledging that the drug-trade relationship between Mexico and the United States is indeed symbiotic and that the cartels would not flourish without a demand for drugs in the United States, federal officials also concede that it isn't just Mexican nationals who buy guns to use in Mexico.
Bazan confirmed the ATF had evidence that several gun buyers and runners were U.S. citizens.
"Most definitely," he said. "There are some very close ties (with the cartels), sometimes even relatives."
MONDAY:
Laredo connections and the ATF's battle against international gunrunning.
(Julian Aguilar may be reached at 728-2557 or by e-mail at jaguilar@lmtonline.com)
"Most definitely," he said. "There are some very close ties (with the cartels), sometimes even relatives."
U.S. citizens *related* to the cartels ???.....
so are these 'anchor baby' gun runners...... or gun runners we've rewarded with *scamnasty* ???
With continued training, if one thinks that the goblin has armor has learned to direct fire to another strike point.
The other nice thing about a CZ-52 is that it is FLAT shooting and accurate, and you can make torso hits at 100+ yards easy with practice.
All of that out of a gun that costs about 200 bucks, and ammo that costs as low as 12 cents a round. In the era of $$$$ ammo, that is a bargain on many levels.
Interesting thread ping.
Sounds like they need to smuggle enough guns into Mexico to provide every citizen with one.
Thanks for posting about this...I’d never heard of the 7.62x25 cartridge before, although I’d always thought the FiveseveN was pretty cool (if expensive). $200 for a pistol and $0.12/round is incredibly cheap these days.
I don’t know if I can get away from a high-capacity .45ACP as my daily carry weapon but I’m gonna have to look into this CZ as another option. You can learn anything if you read FR long enough :-p
Not hardly. It's a small slug, but a big powder load.
Have you ever known a drug cartel that couldn't buy just about anything? It's a big world and they have a lot of money.
Sounds good, but according to much of what I have read here on FR a properly dropped or unattended Glock can make kill shots up to and including a mile!
;<)
It’s C&R too....a good little pistol...
I have four Glocks....nice guns, but I feel they are dangerous, especially in inexperienced hands. Not something
I’d recommend for the average homeowner. Prefer something with a real safety and that is easy to break down and clean. For a Glock, everything on it is designed to be unobstructive to holstering and you have to buy all the ‘extended’ parts to make it usable, defeating the sleekness....
I have been carrying a Glock for more than ten years and disagree with your entire post except for the sleekness.
—take a look at the relative ballistics—
I’ve had mine longer, but that’s neither here nor there. We disagree. That’s why there are different manufacturers I guess.
I checked the receipt and have had it for thirteen years, but that is neither here nor there either.
As to cleaning there is no other semi-auto handgun easier to clean. It is also no more dangerous than a revolver as they really don’t have a safety.
You say that you have four.
Why?
The really cheap ammo in this caliber is corrosive milsurp stuff, so careful cleaning is a must.
But at those prices, it’s worth putting one or two away for a SHTF pistol.
A mile easy.
Stick a 20 round mag in the PLR and it very “coat concealable.” Keep the 30 round mags for reloads or expected trouble situations.
You know, Glocks expire after 12 years. That plastic is biodegradeable.
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