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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers with an Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team were screening traffic headed out of Laredo on the Lincoln-Juarez Bridge in October when they noticed a bundle under the carriage of Vasquez's SUV, secured with black ties. NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Ioan Grillo about the illegal flow of guns from the U.S. to Mexico. In 2016, members of the Knights Templar cartel in Michoacan state allegedly downed a helicopter with an M82rifle, theMexicanlawsuit said. https://tucson.com/news/national/mexican-drug-cartels-using-grenades/article_9bafe2d8-ecf2-5925-8e85-167e066dd2e9.html. 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. "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. I bet they have favorite beers and hand grenades, too. The government accuses gun makers and suppliers of knowingly flooding the market with firearms attractive to drug cartels. Mexican Cartels Are Arming Themselves to the Teeth With Powerful US Sniper Rifles High-powered .50-caliber rifles can be purchased legally in most of the U.S. and they keep showing up in the. Two of those weapons were tracked to the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent: The whole mess immediately became an embarrassment for the Obama administration. From the finest gems, to gold-plated weapons, law enforcement officials say these accused drug dealers have a passion for flashy things. Mexican officials want to disarm America so the can finally claim Texas again and spread there filth into the lungs and veins of every Godless heathen that exists :). 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 . Meanwhile, check out this picture of a gun cache from El Chapo's hide-out: That's a Barrett .50 caliber rifle, confirmed to have gotten to Mexico via the ATF's gun-running program. The No. El Mencho:Daughter of Mexican cartel boss sentenced to US prison for violation of Kingpin Act. The group decries the name "assault weapon" and refers to high-powered guns as "modern sporting rifles." Most of the military grade stuff comes from South America and can be traced to US and Soviet shipments to a few countries back in the late 80's. They were used to set up or. Id gut all weapons law and send any politician that suggest a new gun law to GitMo with a mandatory minimum sentence of life. ), We want USA to be majority white! Men claiming to speak for Mexico's most powerful drug cartel have released a video threatening to murder . Thirty-four. If Diaz had sneaked his arsenal past U.S. Customs officials, he would have had to pay a "piso," or fee, to members of the Crtel del Noreste,or CDN, which dominates this area of northern Mexico, Jonessaid. I hear Chinese AK-74 types a. 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. Dear Mexico: clean up your own house before telling us how to take care of ours. The main character, Franklin is brilliant. Pre-order it now! An Italian-made 9mm pistol that is a best-seller among U.S. law enforcement agencies. 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. Guns Drive Cartel Violence in Mexico. Pass a domestic terrorism bill.. 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. Even though CDN is a rival of CJNG, its members accept payments to allowdrugs or guns to passthrough their territory. By the way, where were these officials when the Obama administration was running guns into Mexico as part of Operation Fast and Furious? Your selective quoting left out California being the source of Tijuanas American weapons (which is but a small minority of total weapons used down there, not that the article mentions that relevant fact). not mexican. Ban assault weapons, high capacity magazines, body armor, silencers. In Mexico City, the military has a museum used to train officials, diplomats, and cadets about the war on drugs. Under tight security, an anonymous New York federal court jury deliberated for three days before reaching a verdict in the drug trafficking case against ex-Public Security Secretary Genaro Garca Luna. 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. Same questions. In May 2008, Mexican federal police raided a suspected trafficker house in Culiacan, a long-standing drug hotbed in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. There is strict gun control in Mexico despite the fact that bearing arms is constitutionally protected. Man, how awful am I gonna feel if one of these guys gets plugged with a weapon I sold? Im having a memory lapsewhich guns are made in Mexico, exactly? So, in 2006, they started experimenting with "gunwalking," essentially letting the cartels smuggle guns into Mexico so they could track them down and catch them. A special investigative report in 2019 by TheCourier Journal warned of CJNG's ruthlessness in Mexico and its reach across the U.S. into small towns. There were undercover agents in the store, sometimes. He likes tacos. 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! ", After a couple weeks of escalating sketchiness, they reported the straw purchasers to the ATF, who immediately showed up to shut this shit d-, Sean Rayford/Getty Images News/Getty Images, Nope! He claimed he didn't know the names of the gun buyers or their cartel affiliations. (PS, you may want to arm your Civilians so they can fight the cartel) According to my cousin who lived in Mexico City, for many years, the cops have a city day job, and a cartel night job. 6 Ugly Things I Learned Selling Guns To Drug Cartels. No it could not be right. It's a more powerful version of the Beretta popularized in James Bond novels and films. I would take that way further. Really, who? Weapons and jewelry seized to alleged leader of "El Cartel del Golfo" Jorge Eduardo Costilla Sanchez, aka "El Coss", are presented to the press in Mexico City, on September 13, 2012. Or perhaps Newsweek went out of print before the Fast and Furious story broke. I do like tacos though. Send any friend a story As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to . Snowfall is my favorite show centered around drugs - EVER. 1 gun in the Hearst survey was the AK-47 imported from Romania by Century International Arms of Delray Beach, Fla. Century Arms, as it's commonly known, legally circumvents a federal law stipulating that imported rifles must be suitable for "sporting purposes." The Insider: Reggie Yates - Episode 2: Mexican Army: War Against Powerful and Violent Drug Cartels | Crime DocumentaryThe Insider: Reggie Yates - Episode 1: . Excuse the pun, but when are you gonna pull the trigger on this? A gold plated pistol and jewelry, allegedly seized from Manuel Alquisires Garcia, alias "El Meme," sit on display during his presentation to the press of in Mexico City, Monday Sept. 12, 2011. Why havent you closed your northern border with a massive military presence to stop south bound smuggling? If someone is breaking the law, go after them. A 9mm browning pistol has the diamond encrusted initials of LMJ. And then paperwork started. Vasquez'sattorney, Silverio Martinez, said he plans to lobby for leniency, even probation, arguing this is his client's first arrest. We know theyre being illegally trafficked through California into Tijuana. [Theres no way for people to buy guns like those in California, either; they are not ban compliant], 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. RELATED:Documents allege Texas DPS spying on Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents contend Vasquez told them he was headed to the city ofMatehuala, a seven-hour drive south of Laredo, Texas, in the Mexican state of San Luis Potos. 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. Cracked is up for TWO Webby Awards, for Best Humor Site and Best Video Entertainment! He campaigned on "Hugs, Not Bullets.". That leaves the military as the only ones able to battle thecartels.. It fires 5.7X28mm cartridges, referred to as "mata policias" (cop killers) in Mexico because they can penetrate bulletproof vests. In Michoacn, the global powerhouse Crtel Jalisco Nueva Generacin, or CJNG, has been engaged in a long and deadly battle with Sinaloa and other rival cartels. . While we're busy patting ourselves on the back, you can pat too by voting here and here. 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. 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 . Given the record number of murders there last year almost 36,000 Mexicans could certainly use some self-defense tools. Then, he says, 'Oh, I've been interested in the Barrett.' Till then, fuck you! 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. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. The Mexican government claims that more than 68% of illegal guns smuggled across the border are made by those companies, along withBarrett and Witmer Public Safety Group, which acquired Interstate Arms. We can reduce the carnage if pols have the guts to act, Eric Holder (@EricHolder) August 5, 2019, Enough-time for real action. California gun-control activists credited that state's low total to strict state firearms laws that severely limit sales of military-style weaponry. An arrogant armed American Gringo. The M82 can easily penetrate bulletproof vests, concrete walls and even tanks, says its manufacturer Barrett Firearms. You never cease to make an absolute fool of yourself. The 5,114 figure is simply wrong. Its a weapon of war, added the official. Then, basic questions: Did you feel they knew what they were buying? is on the streets after a gun battle between Mexican security forces and suspected cartel gunmen, in Villa Union, Mexico . In the past, Jalisco has obtained squad machine guns, .50-caliber sniper rifles and 40mm grenades and launchers. Yes, Mexico has some house cleaning of their own to do, but it would help a great deal if the U.S. had much tighter gun control and drug enforcement. American guns are ok, and many of the gun companies from the above countries have some US manufacturing. There must be a mistake. I tend to like Belgian, Swiss, German, Austrian, and Italian guns. No way the Democrats would support increasing the numbers of guns in the world. 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 . The gun should not be in the hands of civilians, the official said. floating around in pictures. It is cheaper at gun outlets in the U.S. Beretta 9mm. The "El Presidente" model is popular in Mexico because it is one of the few guns legally available there, according to the Violence Policy Center. Of theguns used in crimes in Mexico and traced back to the United States, about 41% camefrom Texas, he said. Whats so hard to understand about that? But, who gave the arms to the Mexican cartels? They want the firearms only in the hands they want so that they can execute their plan. And we're on commission at the time, so all of us involved are like sweet! The Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), despite sounding like the most fun bureau in history, generally frowns on that kind of thing. A recent report reveals 60 percent of all confiscated weapons in Mexico are seized in the three states of Tamaulipas, Guerrero, and Jalisco, with 7 out of 10 weapons confiscated coming from the United States. On the Shelf. Automatic guns and rocket-propelled grenades follow drug trade routes back to China, Guatemala, and the black markets in Central and South America. Sincerely, 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. 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. 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Tell you what, you let me have what the Cartels are able to get from the Mexican Military and Ill let you have what I have now. We were a large store you meet these border patrol agents coming to pick up extra stuff. It depicts one cartel member dressed in a garish shirt, cowboy hat and belt buckle. The cartels then use their members or contract with associates to serve as"consolidators.". A Hearst Newspapers survey of 1,600 guns purchased mostly in Texas and Arizona which were either shipped to Mexico or intercepted en route shows the Bushmaster .223 AR-15 ranks second among firearms apparently used in drug warfare. In Mexico City, the military has a museum used to train officials, diplomats, and cadets about the war on drugs. The customized gold-plated handgun of Jaime Gonzalez Duran, aka "Hummer", founder of a group of hitmen called the "Zetas", shown to the press at the hangar of the Federal Police in Mexico City, on November 7, 2008. But in all honesty the article above does not tell the whole truth about illegal guns in Mexico or South America as drug gangs also get guns from international arms traffickers as well, especially factory made full auto weapons. Try again Jethro your out of your league. One thing struck him as particularly odd: " as I'm ringing up the transaction, he has one of those little drawstring backpacks. Obama supplied guns to mexican gangs, and were also used in Paris France terrorist attack. Theyre American-made guns, Sotomayor told the Union-Tribune. Its a very symbolic weapon in the narco world and for the narco esthetic, Grandmaison said. The cartel can trace its roots to the 1960s and '70s, when farming families entered the marijuana business. It got to the point where we would give the ATF our cellphone numbers. leaks of official weaponry bought by the Mexican military. But, gradually, their suspicions began to pile up " then, we started getting more and more phone calls over the weeks. SALT LAKE CITY A Utah woman is heading to federal prison for buying dozens of high powered rifles for Mexican drug cartel members. This made for an interesting customer service dilemma: How do you deal with a customer you know is: 1. And how many bad guys did they get? The Central Intelligence Agency was intimately involved with the federal government's infamous "Operation Fast and Furious" scheme to send American weapons to Mexican drug cartels while. Robert Evans just wrote a book, A Brief History of Vice, where he experiments with strange ancient drugs. To lose that many military, cops, politicians and citizens murdered by gangsters is phenomenal. A close reading of the motion referenced above suggests that the deal with the Sinaloa drug gang may have included shipments of guns to the cartel to be used to thin out the ranks of rival drug . ", Once the purchase was completed and the "customer" left the store, " the money was counted with the cameras watching it. "Operation Fast And Furious," the one you've actually heard about, launched in 2009. Even got a few border agents killed with those weapons. Gun-rights advocates doubt the accuracy of that claim. LMFAO. Between all the illegal guns and millions in gold, jewelry and diamonds, there are armed guards on constant watch. Cant have all those firearms in the USA, so lets pipeline them to Mexico. So same basic rules as slinging coffee at Starbucks, only with slightly higher stakes if somebody doesn't buy your fake smile. We've received your submission. I'm like, 'makes sense, he's a military kid.' In fact these Paperwork-Americans are even more American than us evil racists! The sheriff believes cartel coyotes are making between $1,000 and $1,500 for every person brought into the country. Mexican Drug Cartels Agree: American-Made Guns Are the Best, Mexican drug and crime cartels prefer American-made guns. From 2006 to 2013, the program expanded until it exploded into the stupidly named "Fast And Furious" scandal. For those who never heard about this story. One room of the museum is dedicated to narco culture. He didn't know much about it beside the fact that he wanted it.". None of the manufacturers, including Barrett, responded to Reuters requests for comment. Whether it's the Juarez Cartel or Sinaloa's 'Chapo' Guzman, one thing the cartels in Mexico and South America have in common are flashy weapons. Guns and munitions confiscated from 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, after they were detained in Villahermosa, Tabasco state. Well short answer. In November 2009, the ATF's Phoenix field office launched an operation in which guns bought by drug-cartel straw purchasers in the U.S. were allowed to "walk" across the border into Mexico. Frankly, Im rather impressed you are still standing at all. SHARE AK-47 favorite gun of cartels 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. 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. Pass national weapons carry reciprocity with jail time and heavy fines for any government agent who violates any citizens carry rights. So, the ATF was like, "We'll show you! Even the much worshiped pre-64 Winchester Model 70s were laughed at by the Europeans when they were first marketed even though the pre-war guns were not all that bad but workmanship after WWII went down rapidly at Winchester. While this is isn't based on one true story, it follows a teenager at the forefront of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles. A spokeswoman for Bushmaster did not respond to repeated calls for comment. "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. 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. Two women were killed in the crossfire when rival gangs started shooting at a popular sidewalk restaurant in Tulum. 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. Barn Brain also conveniently ignores the fact that there are gunsmiths in the U.S. and Mexico that regularly convert semi-auto American made guns to full auto as well and yes they are second hand guns not vetted that come from the U.S. It is also one of the weapons of choice fordrugcartels, according to theMexicangovernment, which this week filed a lawsuit in theUS District Court in Massachusetts against the company and 10 other gun manufacturers. But, one boy was a white boy who told me he had served. 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. Violence in Mexico has claimed nearly 40,000 lives since President Felipe Calderon began a military offensive aimed at overpowering drug cartels. These firearms couldnt possibly coming through California. The recent California shooting was done by a maniac who drove for almost 12 hours to commit crime. In fact, according to Newsweek, cartel criminals view American guns as status symbols because, well, they work. Im curious, did you even read your own article before posting it? October 19, 2022 The typical image of violent, heavily armed Mexican drug cartels tends to leave out one very important fact: Texas is the source for many of those guns. Of those murders, at least 20,005 were carried out with guns. At one point, it was probably four to five of these rifles a week. Scarface stars Pacino as the indelible gangster and charts his rise as a Cuban immigrant-turned-cocaine cartel captain . Shut your pie hole Holder. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration blames CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel for the bulk of America's illicit fentanyl, the top killer during the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history. But then, he broke out the huge bag of cash. "We were being told, 'Oh, we're tracking their phones, we've got their license plates,' but it just kept happening. Accessories?". "It's a horrible epidemic, but it . GREENVILLE, S.C. . Why doesnt it stop guns from going through their border into Mexico? Follow reporter Beth Warrenon Twitter: @BethWarrenCJ. "Their goal is the bulk purchase of maximum firepower.". CJNG members posted a video that went viral on social media in July2020 showing off their arsenal of tanks and .50-caliber guns. Drug cartels have the flashiest of weapons in their arsenal. (Hollie McKay/Fox News) Moreover, a total of 28,741 recovered weapons . Now its used by more than 70 security agencies across the world, according to Barrett. 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). MEXICAN drug cartels are using high-powered sniper rifles which fire bullets the size of cigars to take down police helicopters. Total dead including common citizens, murdered politicians and cartel members was at 115,000 estimated for 2006 thru 2018. 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. Officers foundthree rifles, eight pistols, several magazines and more than 4,700 rounds, including a bag of bullets under Vasquez's seat and more ammunition wrapped in tape and plastic and tucked inside a hidden compartment between the exterior and interior paneling. 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. ", It was a good gig for a while. In summer, a command intercepted a dozen tourists after being mistaken for members of a rival cartel. "We've got agents and we've got trained criminal investigators from the host government in Mexico working investigations in Mexico," he said. Hesometimes loaned his SUV tohis employees and his relatives and argues that one of them could have hidden the guns, Martinez said. Mayor: HISD has two optionsclose school or be taken over, Rare photos show 2 ocelots crossing South Texas road, Willie Nelson pays lovely tribute to another country legend. By Ioan Grillo Bloomsbury: 400 pages, $28 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org . Barretts were basically the only gun the cartels wanted, and while they are both ridiculous and rich, we get the strange feeling these weren't meant as toys " it started to get more and more severe. 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. Actively providing firearms to one of the most dangerous organizations in the world and Yes Colt and Smith at one time made some very nice revolvers I will give them that but our rifles have been a joke for years. [nearly all the guns they bother to trace through the ATFwhich is basically those with US markings on them, duh], The underground trade of weapons to Mexico is worth hundreds of millions of dollars annuallywith American guns used to kill tens of thousands of Mexicans each year. By Jared Olson. Would they be interested in Hello Kitty grips or SpongeBob sights? But the weapons that Hernandez and his associates purchased ended up in the hands of Mexican drug cartel pistoleros, including the Bushmaster .223 that was later used to kill four police officers and three secretaries in Acapulco. Being monitored by the ATF, so It was weird that, one, he came in with $10,000 cash. As of 2018 you have lost 395 servicemen killed and 137 missing, presumed killed by over 100,000 cartel fighters. Mexican military forces confiscated 71 armor-piercing 50-caliber gunsin the year ending January 2020, according to the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Mexico. Its just to easy to buy up second hand guns and ship them to Mexico. Never heard of Obama? Build the wall. How in the hell can any society withstand such incredible violence and not crumble? Build the wall, Mexico. Take a look at some of the flashiest weapons you'll ever see in the slideshow above. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Officials in Mexicowhich has just one gun store and issues fewer than 50 gun permits ayearblame lax U.S. gun laws and the prevalence of gun shops in Americafor the bulk of weapons that allow cartels to flourish. Just look at the numbers for their drug war: Thousands upon thousands of firearms are smuggled into Mexico from the U.S. each year. Investigators found several guns inside the packages, as well as in a secret compartment in the paneling. It is also the native land ofruthless Mexican cartel bossRubn Oseguera Cervantes,a top U.S. target with a $10 million reward for information on his whereabouts. 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. "Project Gunrunner" (at least they were honest with the name) kicked off in 2006.