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U.S., Mexican efforts to battle gun trafficking falter: GAO
Source: Reuters
US | Mon Jan 11, 2016 2:03pm EST
U.S., Mexican efforts to battle gun trafficking falter: GAO
CULIACAN, MEXICO/WASHINGTON | BY MICHAEL O'BOYLE AND PATRICIA ZENGERLE
Efforts to combat illegal gunrunning from the United States to Mexico have stumbled in recent years amid a lack of cooperation between officials on both sides, according to a report released on Monday by a U.S. federal watchdog agency.
The report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), finalized after the latest arrest of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and seen by Reuters ahead of the official release Monday, also criticized U.S. law enforcement agencies for not ensuring that agents work together effectively to fight arms smuggling by Mexico's ruthless drug cartels.
Squabbling between U.S. authorities and Mexico over Guzman has put an intense focus on the issue of cooperation. Mexico, which refused to extradite him to the United States when he was arrested in 2014, was formally commencing extradition proceedings against Guzman after his latest capture.
"Efforts to stem firearms trafficking between the United States and Mexico were scaled back as the administration of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto reconsidered bilateral law enforcement cooperation," said the document first reported by Reuters, which cites U.S. and Mexican officials.
Mexico tightly restricts gun sales, but the flow south of U.S. weapons helped fuel battles between drug gangs and security forces that have killed more than 100,000 people since 2007.
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U.S., Mexican efforts to battle gun trafficking falter: GAO
CULIACAN, MEXICO/WASHINGTON | BY MICHAEL O'BOYLE AND PATRICIA ZENGERLE
Efforts to combat illegal gunrunning from the United States to Mexico have stumbled in recent years amid a lack of cooperation between officials on both sides, according to a report released on Monday by a U.S. federal watchdog agency.
The report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), finalized after the latest arrest of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman and seen by Reuters ahead of the official release Monday, also criticized U.S. law enforcement agencies for not ensuring that agents work together effectively to fight arms smuggling by Mexico's ruthless drug cartels.
Squabbling between U.S. authorities and Mexico over Guzman has put an intense focus on the issue of cooperation. Mexico, which refused to extradite him to the United States when he was arrested in 2014, was formally commencing extradition proceedings against Guzman after his latest capture.
"Efforts to stem firearms trafficking between the United States and Mexico were scaled back as the administration of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto reconsidered bilateral law enforcement cooperation," said the document first reported by Reuters, which cites U.S. and Mexican officials.
Mexico tightly restricts gun sales, but the flow south of U.S. weapons helped fuel battles between drug gangs and security forces that have killed more than 100,000 people since 2007.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-mexico-guncontrol-idUSKCN0UP1OA20160111
4 replies
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How many of those guns are being diverted from the Mexican military to the cartels? I mean, if you want military grade rifles, you ain't gonna get many across the U.S. border. Pistols, semi-auto rifles, shotguns, etc., yes. And even here, much of this smuggling is to groups and individuals sick of being shot at by the cartel.