RELATED:Documents allege Texas DPS spying on Mexico. A Washington man drove to a U.S. border crossing last year in his teal Ford pickup truck loadedwith a hidden arsenal bound for a Mexican cartel war zone. According to prosecutors, the weapons are believed to belong to the Valencia gang, allies of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, and most of the 31 pistols found in the raid had gold or silver-plated grips or glittered with diamonds. leaks of official weaponry bought by the Mexican military. We know theyre being illegally trafficked through California into Tijuana. Those associatesarrange the purchase of several guns keeping them atstash houses or handing them off to transporters ingas station parking lots or other neutral locations, Lestrange said. Diazis part of what cartel members call the Hormiga, Spanish for ant, referring to an ant trail of reliably flowing weapons transported from the southern U.S. to Mexico, said JaesonJones, who tracks cartel trends and previouslymanaged the daily operations of the Texas Rangers'Border Security Operations Center. A 9mm browning pistol has the diamond encrusted initials of LMJ. So, the ATF was like, "We'll show you! , Mexican Drug Cartels Say Americas Gunms The Best , , , , , , fck n A ,HiPoint told yah so. Pass a domestic terrorism bill. Blood Gun Money: How America Arms Gangs and Cartels. MEXICO CITY, Aug 6 The flow of high-caliber arms smuggled across the porousUS border has alarmedMexicanofficials and few weapons are as powerful as theUS-made M82 semi-automaticrifleincreasingly favored by the powerfuldrugcartels. Theres a little bit of The Dude in a lot of Jeff Bridges performances. Explain again how the two assists are not in prison for supplying weapons to know criminals that used the weapons to kill US citizens. How about we lock up a guy who sold the cartels weapons used to kill people including Brian Terry. Sincerely, I'm like, 'makes sense, he's a military kid.' Get the best of Cracked sent directly to your inbox! Are insane ticket costs pricing Astros fans out of Opening Day? CJNG is based in Guadalajara, Mexico's second-largest city, in the state of Jalisco. Gunmen battled on a beach near Puerto Morelos as tourists scrambled into a Hyatt . 6 Ugly Things I Learned Selling Guns To Drug Cartels. Why doesnt it stop guns from going through their border into Mexico? The majority of U.S. states allow citizens to buy .50-caliber weapons, something Mexico reserves for its military. Colt Super .38 pistol: Colt, based in West Hartford, Conn., is the corporate legacy of Samuel Colt, who popularized the revolver in the years before the Civil War. U.S. agents also are helping train Mexican police on investigative techniques and evidence collection and improving intelligence sharing, Lestrange said. He claimed he didn't know the names of the gun buyers or their cartel affiliations. Dear Mexico: clean up your own house before telling us how to take care of ours.. The problem isnt cartels sneaking (civilian) guns from the U.S. Weapons such as the M82 are part of a torrent of illegal arms flowing south, Mexico alleges, partly due to the manufacturers negligent business practices that had encouraged illegal arms trafficking. So same basic rules as slinging coffee at Starbucks, only with slightly higher stakes if somebody doesn't buy your fake smile. American firearms power a brutal conflict that has claimed more than 100,000 lives. of violence in this conflict: intra-cartel disputes, inter-cartel rivalries, and the overall war that Mexican President Felipe Caldern's government is waging on the cartels. In the absence of sane border security policies, Guerra said, drug cartels decide who crosses, and people in their organizations use the children to enter the U.S. Mexico remains a cautionary preview of what might happen in America if we adopted Mexican-style gun control.. 3. Body armour and load-bearing equipment were used by many cartel members, including examples marked 'Marina' (Marines) or 'Polica Estatal' (State Police). Pass red flag laws. Guns Drive Cartel Violence in Mexico. So, you would come in, say hello, shoot the shit, ask him about his kid. Besides, the Belgian five-seven was supposed to be the ultimate status symbol], Tijuanas Director of Public Safety, Marco Antonio Sotomayor, says most of the guns flowing into his city come from north of the border. This is another valid reason to vet second hand gun purchases because there often is no paper trail with second hand guns, especially guns that have been sold over and over again second hand. Follow reporter Beth Warrenon Twitter: @BethWarrenCJ. COPYRIGHT 2021, THETRUTHABOUTGUNS.COM. Diaz is one of 360 suspects arrested so far duringOperation Without a Trace, an ongoingcrackdown launched nearly two years ago by Homeland Security Investigationsand U.S. Customs and Border Protection to intercept illegal guns, saidJoseph Lestrange, division chief of Homeland Security's Transnational Organized Crime. Fast and Furious was a Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) "gunrunning" operation in which the Obama administration allowed guns to be sold to Mexican drug cartels in the hope the weapons would be recovered at crime scenes. I hear Chinese AK-74 types a. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and check out another How To Solve The Country's Gun Problem, and watch other videos you won't see on the site! Pre-order it now! All of the straw buyers were arrested in one fell swoop in 2011. Soldiers stand guard around a presentation of arms captured in an operation against the Gulf cartel in Mexico City, Friday, Nov. 7, 2008. No secret, everyone knew it, too. One of the most dangerous pockets of Mexico City: Teptio, the primary-black market area, under the thumb of the Union Cartel. So, thats bad, thats a horror. But, gradually, their suspicions began to pile up " then, we started getting more and more phone calls over the weeks. Earlier in the week, more than one . You have lost 4,020 Federal, State, and Municipal Police killed by the cartels. Not the party of civil rights,, wait the Democratic Party is not nor has it ever been the Party of Civil Rights as it has always opposed and still opposes the Constitution; it has been and continues to be the Party of Civil Right Suppression, the Party of Slavery, the Party of the KKK, the Party who opposed voting rights,, (just Google it, Google any historic Democratic Politician in history). Christ, John; do a little digging please, since this article is easily refuted/debunked, American and Mexican law enforcement officials say nearly all of the gun violence in Mexico is fueled by the illicit import and sale of U.S. firearms. Into Mexico.. Our own government is gifting military weapons to Mexico & those arms are being used by the cartels. To lose that many military, cops, politicians and citizens murdered by gangsters is phenomenal. quoteClown shoes.quote. Not with all their progressive laws. "But we also know most of the violence the Mexican government is concerned about against police and against institutions is coming from CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel" run by the notorious kingpin "El Chapo,"Lestrange said. ", Spencer Platt/Getty Images News/Getty Images, "Once the ATF was more involved, we had a separate set of paperwork. Drug cartels have been using monster type armored cars for about 15 years these recent photos clashes in tamaulipas between cdn and cdg they use m82 m017 barrets also m2 machine guns and 40mm grenades this doesn't happen very far from egle pass texas or mcallen texas . Gunmen who left behind at least one M82riflewere seen spraying the armor-plated car ofpolicechief Omar Garcia Harfuch with high-velocity rounds. This is how the cartels get the vast majority of their arsenal. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. There must be a mistake. How could the ATF make selling firearms to the cartels a more pleasurable process? Maybe, he'll see this and send a thank you card. While they had been gun-running since 2006, a 2011 report by the inspector general criticized the agency for dedicating too many resources to busting straw purchasers and not enough at busting the cartel guys doing the buying. It was run by brothers Jorge Luis, Juan David, and Fabio Ochoa Vasquez; Pablo Escobar; Carlos Lehder; George Jung; and Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez. When the Coen Brothers needed someone to show The Dude how to really roll, they could turn to only one man: Hall of Fame professional bowler Barry Asher. While we're busy patting ourselves on the back, you can pat too by voting here and here. WASHINGTON Convicted gun smuggler John Phillip Hernandez of Houston was likely not the kind of customer that Bushmaster Firearms International had in mind when he purchased 14 of the company's .223 caliber AR-15s at Houston area gun shops in 2006 and 2007. It is cheaper at gun outlets in the U.S. Beretta 9mm. Try again Jethro your out of your league. The flow of high-caliber arms smuggled across the porous U.S. border has alarmed Mexican officials and few weapons are as powerful as the U.S.-made M82 semi-automatic rifle increasingly favored by . An NSSF survey last year found that 44 percent of owners of these weapons are active-duty or former military or law-enforcement personnel, and the typical owner is 35, married and has some college education. Sept. 7, 2010 -- A shocking new report obtained by ABC News says that as many as three out of four guns used in crimes in Mexico and recovered and capable of being traced can be traced to gun . It would help gangs and cartels to increase their presence and elevate homicide and crime rates in the U.S. As troll names go, yours is especially stupid. The article, titled, "The U.S. Must Defeat Mexico's Drug Cartels", . If the laws actually worked, wouldnt Arizona, New Mexico, or Texas be the easier route? Well, crap. "It's a horrible epidemic, but it . In the world of assault-type weaponry, power is measured by bullet caliber, velocity and range, as well rapidity of fire and ammunition magazine capacity. (zero miles currently built 1 mo gov shut down trump heights built tho??? Blaming Californias laws for failing is about as stupid as blaming Blaming Democrats for inter city crime but thats another story thats way over your head. Ban assault weapons, high capacity magazines, body armor, silencers. John Allen Muhammad, the D.C. sniper, and his youthful accomplice, Lee Boyd Malvo, used a Bushmaster .223 in nine of 10 sniper-style murders that terrorized the Washington area in 2002. NSSF: The Firearms Industry Is Committed to Real Solutions, Todays Hot Weather Daytime Carry: Everyday Carry Pocket Dump of the Day, State Judge Issues Order Blocking Enforcement of Illinois Firearms Ban Statewide, Federal Judge Grants Injunction Blocking Enforcement of ATFs Frame or Receiver Rule, Protecting and Serving: Springfield, IL Police Seized Homeowners Gun After Investigating Her Report of a Prowler UPDATED, https://www.npr.org/2019/02/21/696561255/heckler-koch-fined-4-2-million-over-assault-rifle-sales-in-mexico, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Drug_War. Workers repair the facade of City Hall riddled with bullet holes in Villa Union, Mexico, in December 2019, after a gun battle between a heavily armed drug cartel assault group and security forces. There, members oftheGulf Cartel and CJNGhave formed a partnership, Jones said. You try and keep it as normal as possible; you don't want to spook him because then everything's shot as well. "Operation Wide Receiver" was a subset of the overall project, centered around Arizona. As Mexican drug groups cut in on avocado sales by extorting growers, armed locals fight back, Daughter of Mexican cartel boss sentenced to US prison for violation of Kingpin Act. That leaves the military as the only ones able to battle thecartels.. The reason the cartels had use for the Barrett is chilling: When you're as large as, say, Los Zetas, your "turf wars" involve the Mexican army. Reports suggest the Fast and Furious guns are tied to at least 69 killings. Once inside the U.S., Century Arms converts the rifles into military-style AK-47s capable of holding 30-round magazines. Its all too easy to legally ship a batch of guns to a South American Corrupt Government that just happens to have some come up missing and they get sold to drug cartels for big bucks. "As a result of the continued use and possession of many of these guns, residents of Mexico will continue to be killed and injured by these guns, and the public will continue to fear for their health, safety, and welfare," Americanattorneys wrote in the suit on behalf of Mexico. Gold-plated, diamond-encrusted weapons are shown to the press after they were confiscated when the army seized a ranch in Zapopan, Mexico, Sunday, May 2, 2010. build the wall you promised us! We might have chalked him up as just another Call Of Duty fan with impulse problems, but our source considered this a "red flag" for straw purchasing. Miguel Diaz Calderon never made it out of Texas. weapons to Mexico. The sheriff believes cartel coyotes are making between $1,000 and $1,500 for every person brought into the country. Drug cartels are known for heinous acts of violence and blatant disregard for law, but one more thing the outlaws are known for is their taste for the most luxurious items. More than 40 people have been charged in the Upstate of South Carolina as part of a drug-trafficking case known as "Las Seoritas," according to Attorney General Alan Wilson . ", It was a good gig for a while. An admirer of Colombian crime boss Pablo Escobar places flowers on his . See I figured they were big fans of German guns, going back to that huge illegal arms contract HK won for the cartels awhile back. Known as CJNG, the billion-dollar cartel boasts of more than 5,000 members, an army larger than its key rival, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. At the same time, Mexico remains a cautionary preview of what might happen in America if we adopted Mexican-style gun control. Thousands evacuated in North Korea as heavy rain destroys Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Buster Murdaugh got 'very drunk' with dad 2 months after mom, brother murdered: source, Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss planned to tell Ariana Madix about affair, Prince Harry says hes not a victim: I never looked for sympathy, Allison Holker pens touching note to kids after Stephen tWitch Boss death, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant allegedly flashes gun at a strip club, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. No, they published this piece in an effort to get the US Congress to tighten Americas gun control laws, ostensibly to stop the alleged flow of guns to Mexico. I bet they have favorite beers and hand grenades, too. In January, a Mexican judge charged. Guns are funneled into the closest or easiest crossing into Mexico and they come from other states with lax laws. Oh, surprise, surprise, who was AG of California when this was happening?? ", The Barrett is a rifle with almost no practical criminal uses. Formed by ex-military men who became armed enforcers for the Gulf Cartel, the Zetas split with their former patrons nearly three years ago and have since become one of Mexico's largest and most . "Almost all guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico 70% to 90% of them were trafficked from the U.S.," the Mexican government claims in its complaint. Its a very symbolic weapon in the narco world and for the narco esthetic, Grandmaison said. El Mencho:Daughter of Mexican cartel boss sentenced to US prison for violation of Kingpin Act. How AMLO Has Fueled Mexico's Drug War. None of the manufacturers, including Barrett, responded to Reuters requests for comment. The Bushmaster .223 comes with a 30-round magazine, enabling the shooter to fire all 30 rounds, one for each pull of the trigger, in a minute or less. And yes the California shooter did have a vetted gun but the point being made is that without uniform vetting laws funneling second hand guns into Mexico is a piece of cake. As far as American guns being the best. Its a weapon of war, added the official. Then, they were let go, because what they had done hadn't been illegal -- they hadn't seen a hand off. Homeland Security teamed with the ATF tolauncha confidential tip line asking for help from the public, displaying the number on about 200 billboards near the border,asking for information on illegal guns bound for Mexico. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. "The majority of weapons we've seized since we started this operation have been in the corridor by Laredo, Texas from Laredo to El Paso," he said. An arrogant armed American Gringo. Well short answer. November 23, 2022 Contact: Phone Number: (571) 387-3831 For Immediate Release Debt Collector and Drug Distributor for Cartel Connected, Violent, Drug Distribution Ring, Sentenced to 10 years in Prison Previous slide Next slide Handgun in leather holster Plastic bag of fentanyl pills Move slider to item #1 Move slider to item #2 Also, follow us on Facebook, and we'll follow you forever. It is also one of the weapons of choice for drug cartels, according to the. Fake News. And we're on commission at the time, so all of us involved are like sweet! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Drug_War. Did they buy ammo? That's the NRA position.". SALT LAKE CITY A Utah woman is heading to federal prison for buying dozens of high powered rifles for Mexican drug cartel members. It works the same way when gun runners from the U.S. funnel second hand guns into Mexico. Modern optics, including AimPoint types and the distinctive Vism ECO 434 model were seen. Agents launched 534 investigations, seized $29 million and intercepted more than 1,200 guns, 4,700 magazines for semi-automatic and automatic weapons and 700,000 rounds of ammunition headed to. Bushmaster describes the AR-15 rifle, a civilian version of the U.S. military's standard-issue M-16, as intended "for law enforcement, security and private consumer use." I mean all the enforcement is on the American side, very little exists on the Mexican side. At one point, it was probably four to five of these rifles a week. For those who never heard about this story. A gun that can shoot through tanks is pretty useful for that. The bridge connectsEagle Pass, Texas, to the Northern Mexicocity of Piedras Negras in the state of Coahuila. Given the record number of murders there last year almost 36,000 Mexicans could certainly use some self-defense tools. "It doesn't say anything about conduct of retailer, manufacturer or purchaser.". They weren't tracking them well enough; everyone made it over the border. Century Arms Draco 7.62X39mm pistol: Another Romanian import. And four years ago, two sons of El Chapo Guzmn were kidnapped in another restaurant 500 meters from where they shot the former governor two days ago. DEA agents say the cartel was trying to instill fear in its enemies and woo new members. They only wanted a couple of us dealing with it fill out this form, have the money counted, so we can bring drug dogs in to check the bills for drugs. It fires the same round as the AK-47 but is significantly shorter and easier to conceal. Snowfall is my favorite show centered around drugs - EVER. He likes tacos. Between all the illegal guns and millions in gold, jewelry and diamonds, there are armed guards on constant watch. Mexican Drug Cartels Agree: American-Made Guns Are the Best, Mexican drug and crime cartels prefer American-made guns. I would be one of the richest people on the planet. "The brand names are inconsequential what matters is that our laws aren't being enforced," said Andrew Arulanandam, director of public affairs for the National Rifle Association. Why havent you closed your northern border with a massive military presence to stop south bound smuggling? https://tucson.com/news/national/mexican-drug-cartels-using-grenades/article_9bafe2d8-ecf2-5925-8e85-167e066dd2e9.html. See any connections here? Really, these propagandists have got to get on the same page. Diaz, who pleaded guilty, and Vasquezareawaiting sentencing. Between 2009 and 2020, authorities seized 358 M82rifles, according to official figures cited by the Milenio newspaper. A gold plated pistol and jewelry, allegedly seized from Manuel Alquisires Garcia, aka "El Meme," sit on display during his presentation to the press of in Mexico City, Monday Sept. 12, 2011. is on the streets after a gun battle between Mexican security forces and suspected cartel gunmen, in Villa Union, Mexico . California, by contrast, accounted for 90 guns, three percent of the total. Meanwhile, the Mexican government blames prominent U.S. gun manufacturers for the influx of cartel weaponsin its lawsuit against them in federal court in Boston. It's made it easier than ever to drive to any Texas gun shop and legally stockpile guns, whether or not the customers belong to a Mexican cartel. "Their goal is the bulk purchase of maximum firepower.". In fact these Paperwork-Americans are even more American than us evil racists! Cartel forces seized a major regional capital city in broad daylight and defeated the national armed forces in open battle. FN Herstal PS90 rifle: It also fires the 5.7X28mm round. Officers found all of those brands, except Century Arms,in the shipments smuggled by Diaz, court records show. "And they're sending leads up to us to connect the dots.". Mexican cartels exploiting border chaos to smuggle fentanyl into US By Isabel Vincent June 10, 2022 3:53pm Updated Mexican drug cartels are taking advantage of the chaotic influx of migrants. In 2018, the homicide rate in Mexico hit a record high of 35,964, spiking 12 percent from the year before, according to the countrys National Institute of Statistics and Geography. Agreed. Of theguns used in crimes in Mexico and traced back to the United States, about 41% camefrom Texas, he said. The Mexican government estimates that more than half a million guns are smuggled from the U.S. each year, arming Mexico's deadly cartel wars. Of course, these same quoted Mexican officials made no mention of changing their own to laws to allow the little people to own some cold steel with which they could protect themselves and their families from corrupt federales and cartel predators. He expected to be paid anadditional $5,000 once the guns were delivered toMichoacn, Mexico, according to court records. One exhibit features weapons seized from cartel members. Criminal organizations operating in Tamaulipas, Guerrero, and Jalisco were the most armed in the country, at least in the last year. From the finest gems, to gold-plated weapons, law enforcement officials say these accused drug dealers have a passion for flashy things. Here's what he told us. Hundreds of firearms on display before being destroyed at . A museum in Mexico City has dozens of seized paraphilia on display. Frankly, Im rather impressed you are still standing at all. In Mexico City, the military has a museum used to train officials, diplomats, and cadets about the war on drugs. Vasquez'sattorney, Silverio Martinez, said he plans to lobby for leniency, even probation, arguing this is his client's first arrest. CDC reinstates mask recommendation for planes, trains, While U.S. hits new job quitting record, this man set his own record 84 years at the same company, The U.S. housing market is historically overvalued. . The Hearst survey of court cases found these weapons among the top 10: The Belgian-made FN Herstal Five-SeveN: Some versions of this pistol hold 10 rounds; others have a 20-round capacity. "You put on a face, like any customer service job, and you try to build a rapport with these guys. If not, they should be left alone. Another solid reason for the U.S. to pass universal back ground checks. Coke was originally supposed to make you smarter or something. Sinaloa Cartel A Mexico-based cartel famous largely because their long-term leader, El Chapo, was recently captured and imprisoned, the dangerous Sinaloa Cartel is also notorious for its extensive ties to the Mexican federal police and military. Newsweek, the defunct print magazine, reports that Mexican drug and crime cartels prefer American-made guns to use against their rivals and innocent Mexican civilians. That included riflesmanufactured in Tennessee and Arkansas capable of downing aircraft or ripping through armored police cars andtanks. Army officials said they confiscated 288 assault rifles, 500,000 rounds of ammunition, numerous grenades and several .50-caliber rifles at a house in the city of Reynosa, across the border from McAllen, Texas. Last week, the Treasury sanctioned two Mexican businessmen and four Sinaloa Cartel members in connection with the illicit methamphetamine and fentanyl trade. Mexican and U.S. authorities arrested Guzman in February; he had eluded authorities for decades. Most of Mexicos gun violence (and violence in general) has primarily come from the cartel wars through the illicit gun trade and insatiable drug thurst facilitated by the United States. I do not fault Mexico for failing to try, but I do wonder if somebody down there on the anti-cartel side is simultaneously trying to fail? Then, basic questions: Did you feel they knew what they were buying? Together the men funneled nearly 340 firearms valued at almost $370,000 to Mexican drug cartels. We had four or five come in that first guy came in five or six times, saying he was starting a collection. Now I cannot make this any more simple for you to understand. One room of the museum is dedicated to narco culture. Guns and munitions confiscated to alleged Mexican drug dealers Alberto Sanchez Hinojosa aka "El Tony", Francisco Arteaga Espino and Leonel Cruz Hernandez are displayed to the press in Mexico City on September 7, 2008. Pass a domestic terrorism bill.. Would they be interested in Hello Kitty grips or SpongeBob sights? Majority all arms used in Mexico, where gun control laws are very strict, are bought in the U.S . Of those murders, at least 20,005 were carried out with guns. [and I wonder what fraction of those murders were carried out at the behest of federal authorities by their cartel buddiesthe same Federales that prohibit citizens from arming up to defend themselves against the cartels.]. Theycould each face up to 10 years in prison. He campaigned on "Hugs, Not Bullets.". Based in northwest Mexico's Sinaloa state, the Sinaloa Cartel is widely considered to be the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the Western Hemisphere, according to Insight Crime. Thirty-four. The raw power of therifle, which weighs about 31 lb and is 4.9 feet long, was on show in mid-2020 during a military-style assassination attempt on Mexico Cityspolicechief that was captured by surveillance cameras. California gun-control activists credited that state's low total to strict state firearms laws that severely limit sales of military-style weaponry.