Southern border security goes both ways. There were more than 214,000 gun homicides in Mexico from 2010 to 2021. Recently, a Mexican mayor was assassinated by a cartel days after taking office. Over 400 Mexican police officers were killed in 2021.
Mexico has strict gun control laws with one gun store in the entire country, issuing approximately 50 permits per year, limited to the purchase of a single weapon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives estimates that over 70% of the guns used by the cartels are sold in the U.S. and smuggled into Mexico.
Between 70% and 90% of the guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico have been traced to the U.S. by the ATF, mostly from Arizona and Texas. Guns sold in Houston and Tucson were the largest sources of weapons supplied to the cartels. Gun trafficking even has a catchy name…the “iron river.”
Mike Johnson recently withdrew the National Security And Border Act on former President Trump’s behalf. This bill had overwhelming support by both sides in Congress. It would have increased funding combating drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
Congress didn’t address the weapons trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico. Congress didn’t address weapon purchases by straw buyers to be resold to the cartels. Congress didn’t address China being the primary source of chemicals needed for fentanyl production.
The cartels are expanding their physical presence in our country’s drug trade. Our country is destabilizing Mexico at every political and policing level with the exportation of military grade weapons with our citizens acting as straw buyers.
Cartoonist Walt Kelly said it best: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” If we want Mexico to be a better neighbor, we need to be a better neighbor to Mexico. Tell your representatives to address gun trafficking. Neither country can do this alone.
Paul Sanders, Salt Lake City
