Posted on 05/16/2009 7:04:44 PM PDT by freeandfreezing
For the past five weeks, hundreds of agents participating in a newly intensified $95 million outbound inspection program have been stepping into southbound traffic lanes, stopping suspicious-looking cars and trucks....
No guns were found as the reporters watched; they rarely are.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
Maybe they should move to the northbound lanes to stop people and methamphetamine.
Just a suggestion!
The whole notion of the US being a major source of firearms is absurd. Ammunition possibly, but not firearms.
First, the weapons causing the most problems are legal only with an FFL. Smugglers are unlikely to want a paper trail of their desire to acquire fully automatic weapons.
Additionally, the weapons can be purchased easily in any number of other countries at prices much lower, and quantities much higher, than would be available in the US. The cost differential would more than overcome the additional shipping costs involved.
Check this out that NAFBPO sent.
More from NAFBPO today here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2252287/posts?page=26#26
Apr 24, 2009 08:00 ET
Forensic Technology: US and Mexico to Share Ballistics Database
MONTREAL, QUEBEC—(Marketwire - April 24, 2009) - Forensic Technology would like to congratulate the governments of Mexico and the United States on the announced sharing of their ballistics databases. The decisive leadership displayed by both Governments in taking these actions ensures that police on both sides of the border have the tools they need to combat the escalating gun violence.
The situation along the Southwest Border was a significant topic during the April 16th meeting between Mexican President Felipe Calderon and U.S. President Barack Obama. “Obviously the Mexican people, particularly along the borders, have suffered great hardship. And as a consequence, if we partner effectively, I’m confident that we’re going to make progress” stated President Obama.
Earlier that day, the White House announced the following with regard to its new approach on a bilateral relationship, specifically arms trafficking:
“The United States and Mexico each have Integrated Ballistic Identification Systems (IBIS) that store digital photos and arms-related information related to criminal investigations. The United States and Mexico will bridge their IBIS systems in order to share digital images, ballistic markings, other arms-related information to help identify leads in violent crimes both in Mexico and in the United States.”
As the creators of IBIS, Forensic Technology is extremely proud to witness IBIS playing a pivotal law enforcement role in Mexico and the United States. Indeed, IBIS has already provided both U.S. and Mexican investigators with timely information about crimes, guns, and suspects by suggesting possible matches between pairs of spent bullets and cartridge cases at speeds well beyond human capacity.
President Calderon expressed his desire to modernize his country’s police force, “...we would like a renewal of our police forces in Mexico... at the same time, technologically, they will be top-notch, as the rest of the world, in investigation, in databases. We want a scientific police, one that is very well-trained in technology, and U.S. help will be very welcome and it will be essential.”
When networked, the power of IBIS is clearly evident. A country with a broad distribution of IBIS systems will efficiently create a nation-wide database of crime exhibits. This database will - over time - amass a formidable inventory of evidence that is a valuable tool in solving crimes, identifying patterns, and recognizing trends. Whether the trends relate to the types of firearms that are being used, or the types of crimes they are used for, an IBIS network becomes a national intelligence resource on crime guns and gun crimes. At the outset of building such a network, governments can use this database for real-time crime solving. As historical data is collected over time, governments gain the ability to use the data to predict and prepare for what may lay ahead.
About Forensic Technology
Forensic Technology pioneered automated ballistics identification more than fifteen years ago and continues to be a leader in ballistics and firearms identification technologies that promote a safer society. We partner with hundreds of public safety agencies in over 45 countries and territories, providing cost-effective and sustainable solutions. With vast experience in scalable-networked solutions, we employ a dedicated team of engineering, forensic, and law enforcement professionals around the world.
Our IBIS technology can find the “needle in the haystack”, suggesting possible matches between pairs of spent bullets and cartridge cases at speeds well beyond human capacity in order to help forensic experts give detectives more timely information about crimes, guns, and suspects.
For more information about Forensic Technology please visit: www.forensictechnology.com
I see a company that’s found itself a gravy train.
“I do not believe we can even make a dent in (southbound smuggling) because that assumes the cartels are complete idiots, which they’re not. Why in the world would they try to smuggle weapons and currency through a checkpoint when there are so many other options?” said Border Patrol Agent T.J. Bonner, president of the agents’ union.
According to CBP, between March 12 and April 30 officers seized:
—Fifty-one pieces of ammunition, weapons parts and guns..
--from the article.
A nearly full box of .22 rimfire bullets, a shotgun choke, and a bb gun I'll bet.
I live close to US 77 south of Corpus, before the King Ranch, and I am telling you that the Task Force is out. They are pulling over vehicles in the southbound lanes, loke crazy.
Searching and stripping them down just like the northbound ones they stop.
I watch them. They sit and wait. They know who they are!
“move to the northbound lanes”?
How bout the northbound...open fields?
He's right.
The solution is for our government to quit selling/giving them to the Mexican government. If they don't get them, the Federales can't turn around and sell/rent/give them to the cartels.
I doubt that. How about providing an estimate of the total number of rounds fired by criminals in Kalifornia last year? Was it even a thousand? Two thousand?
I would be surprised if Kalifornia's criminals used more ammunition last year than I have in my house. Ammunition will never be scarce to criminals.
Actually, there is plenty of video proof, and actual arrests, of Mexican citizens buying cases of ammo in the US to take back to Mexico. Ammo from the US makes sense because the cost difference between the US and foreign sources is not enough to make up for the shipping and convenience. Additionally ammo is not like a fully automatic weapon. Just about anything they want is readily available.
It’s not like they can just but it in Mexico.
They can state with assurance that they found 51 pieces of ammunition, plus ‘some parts and guns’. How many guns? 2? Maybe only 1?
And they want us to believe, as Janet Napolitano says later in the article, that there’s a ‘flood of guns’ flowing south acrocss the border.
Well, ol’ Janet can just kiss my grits. She’s either ignorant or pushing an agenda. And I think we both know which is which.
Hence my recurring question: how much of this stuff was exported in compliance with US export laws and with full knowledge & documentation of the BATFE?
Gosh - I guess I'll have to lock up all of my completely legal & federally licensed full autos, heavy machine guns, & grenades (bought at Walmart - great prices!) that I've currently got sitting out in the front yard (no room in the closets), so they don't get stolen & smuggled into Mexico. /sarc
John Walsh is a freaking idiot...
And since they're saying "next to no" guns I'd bet that even the few they do find are one or two to a vehicle, meaning that it's simply personal weapons the guy's either forgotten to take out before going into Mexico or is willing to take the chance in order to have a little protection on him. In either case, not guns he intends to sell while in Mexico.
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