border control
Mexico is upset that guns are getting into the country. They blame the US, of course. The US recently decided to give trace data to the Mexican .gov. But this is bullshit:
Officials said that many of the weapons – including powerful handguns and semiautomatic assault rifles – are purchased legally at shops and gun shows, and that Houston and Dallas are two of the top sources. The guns are typically carried south across the border by multiple couriers whom some officials referred to as an “army of ants.”
Even black-market military-style weapons, such as .50-caliber machine guns, bazookas and grenades, have been seized in raids.
.50-caliber machine guns, bazookas and grenades are all either 1) illegal in the US or 2) heavily regulated in the US. They’re also, generally, unlawful to export of course. So, Mexico’s weapons of this sort are likely coming from somewhere else. But ATF to the rescue:
In Mexico City, U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey said the goal of what officials are calling Project Gunrunner is to dry up the cartels’ arms supply in the U.S. by punishing gun dealers who knowingly sell weapons to “straw” buyers who then resell them illegally.
Or just look for the dealers who sell .50-caliber machine guns, bazookas and grenades because they’re likely already breaking the law.
January 18th, 2008 at 10:30 am
The BATFE is trying to run gun shops out of business. The local ones report they have been audited more in the last year than ever. Four have closed to avoid trouble with the agency. The new anti-gun director Michael Sullivan is driving this effort.
The Feds leave the border open and enrich Mexican Cartels with the drug war policies….and the answer is the persecution of LEGAL Federally licensed gun stores and gun shows?
January 18th, 2008 at 10:37 am
One thing I don’t get is that anyone with an IQ above room temperature should realize that as long as the drug cartels are running Mexico they will have no difficulty getting firearms. The corrupt Mexican government and the generally violent region provide an environment well suited to arms smuggling.
The solution is to dry up the supply of money to the cartels by legalizing drugs in the US. It sounds counterintuitive, but the money and the violence is all due to people chasing the high profits from the risky drug trade. Legalize it and suddenly there is no more risk and little profit. Also, there is no longer any need for extra-judicial enforcement- anyone that gets ripped off in a legal drug deal could just call the cops and report a fraud.
If the cartels can’t make billions by smuggling low quality mexican weed, what will they need weapons to defend? And where would they get the money for them anyway? Prohibition has never had any effect on the cartels. In fact, it has given them the wealth and power they enjoy today.
January 18th, 2008 at 11:35 am
I’d bet dollars to donuts that the military stuff they’re finding has been sold over the fence by members of the Mexican army.
MC
January 18th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
If they’re getting .50-caliber machine guns, bazookas and grenades they’re coming in from China. That’s how they get into California anyhow. Mexico has a lot of Pacific coast shoreline…
January 18th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
The only thing more crooked than the BATF is the Mexican government. Getting them together is a match made in hell.
January 18th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
“Dear Uncle Sam. If you’re serious about stopping illegal trafficking of every kind across the USA/Mexico border, like you claim to be, THEN SEAL OFF THE FUCKING BORDER instead of messing with honest US citizens who are not part of the problem!”
Now how hard is it for anyone with a IQ higher than Forrest Gump’s to understand that?
January 18th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Cactus Jack,
Well-said! Maybe our chief executive, you now the guy who is supposed to enforce the laws of the United States, could do what the Law mandates that he do: “The United States SHALL guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of government AND SHALL PROTECT EACH OF THEM AGAINST INVASION…” (Article IV, Section 4, U.S. Constitution)
The refusal to do this when they SAY we’re in a “war on terrorism” is giving aid and comfort to the enemy which uses terrorism and that is defined as “treason” according to Article III, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution.
Oh yeah, I forgot, in this “war on terrorism” we are all suspects, ’cause we can’t even name the enemy lest we profile someone…when everyone knows that Islam is THE profiler of our enemy. So we gota keep the borders open and tighten down with the polcie-state apparatus here and make it difficult or impossible for citizens to acquire, keep AND CARRY the means of self-defense.
STOP LETTING THEM IN!!!!!!
January 18th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
The first persons this will be used on are us gunowners.
With this data, they will know which trunks to plant a loose .22lr round in, in order to begin a horrendously expensive prosecution.
January 18th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
my biggest concern is that the ATF will start shutting down dealers that legally sold ARs and AKs in the us that were semi-auto…. but were convered to FA after purchase… im sure the atf will be oh so understanding
January 19th, 2008 at 2:49 am
Well this is an illegal export issue if the weapons are from the US. Maybe the BATF should leave this to the adult cops like the export compliance officers at the State Department. Or the FBI, who have been known to prosecute exporters for legal exports. No need for stings or straw buyers, just reasonable belief that the seller knew the weapon was headed out of the country, then they can hit them with administrative and civil fines as well as criminal prosecution.
Also, have these people been to Texas? Houston close to the border? Houston is close to the Gulf. Brownsville is close to the border. Perhaps it’s the same way LA is close to the border, in fact LA is closer. Strange thing is the article was in a Dallas newspaper. I guess journalists don’t read maps.