GAO Ties U.S. Guns to Mexico Violence

The study acknowledges the data gap. In 2008, of the almost 30,000 weapons seized by Mexican law enforcement, only 7,200 were submitted to the bureau for tracing, the study said. The number of weapons submitted would be higher were it not for bureaucratic problems, U.S. and Mexican officials said, according to the study. Officials told investigators they expect to fix those problems to allow more complete data to be gathered.

GAO investigators cited multiple problems in trying to collect enough data to complete a comprehensive study of arms trafficking from the U.S. The investigators faulted the lack of a coherent anti-arms-trafficking strategy, as well as turf battles among agencies charged with enforcing laws and government policy on the issue.

The study also cited bureaucratic problems in Mexico that reduced the number of weapons submitted to the U.S. for tracing. In addition, congressional restrictions limit the amount of data the bureau can collect and publicly release about gun sales....

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The last thing the Mexican government has time or money to do is keep records, and if they did have serial numbers, why isn't Holder prosecuting shill buyers?

From the garbled info we've been getting, the Mexican government sent up serial number for about 10 percent of captured guns - the ones they had suspected had started in the US. Of those, about half were able to be traced, and of these about 90% did start out as US commercial sales. So that means that 40 percent of about 10 percent, or about four percent of the total started out here.

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While it is impossible to know how many firearms are illegally trafficked into Mexico in a given year, over 20,000, or around 87 percent, of firearms seized by Mexican authorities and traced over the past 5 years originated in the United States, according to data from ATF (see fig. 2). Over 90 percent of the firearms seized in Mexico and traced over the last 3 years have come from the United States.

While it is impossible to know how many firearms are illegally trafficked into Mexico in a given year, over 20,000, or around 87 percent, of firearms seized by Mexican authorities and traced over the past 5 years originated in the United States, according to data from ATF (see fig. 2). Over 90 percent of the firearms seized in Mexico and traced over the last 3 years have come from the United States.

For example, many of these firearms are high-caliber and high-powered, such as AK and AR-15 type semiautomatic rifles.

First, certain provisions of some federal firearms laws present challenges to U.S. efforts, according to ATF officials. Specifically, officials identified key challenges related to (1) restrictions on collecting and reporting information on firearms purchases, (2) a lack of required background checks for private firearms sales,

Another significant challenge facing the United States in its efforts to assist Mexico is the concern about corruption among some Mexican government entities. Despite President Calderon’s efforts to combat organized crime, extensive corruption at the federal, state, and local levels of Mexican law enforcement impedes U.S. efforts to develop effective and dependable partnerships with Mexican government entities in combating arms trafficking.

The Mexican Constitution guarantees the right of Mexicans to possess arms. Even so, gun control laws in Mexico are very strict, and police discretion in enforcement makes possession of firearms of greater than .22 very difficult.

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In Mexico as in the United States, civil unrest in 1968 led to important new restrictions on firearms. Before then, many types of rifles and handguns were freely available. Anti-government student movements, however, scared the government into closing firearms stores, and registering all weapons. Compliance with the registration has been very low.

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The most important gun laws are contained in the Federal Law of Firearms and Explosives. It establishes a Federal Arms Registry controlled by the Ministry of National Defense. Both the federal and state governments are required to conduct public information campaigns to discourage all forms of weapons ownership and carrying. Only sports-related advertising of firearms is permitted.

Title Two of the Federal Law of Firearms allows possession and carrying of handguns in a calibers of .380 or less, although some calibers are excluded, most notably .357 magnum and 9mm parabellum.

Members of agricultural collectives and other rural workers are allowed to carry the aforesaid handguns, .22 rifles, and shotguns, as long as they stay outside of urban areas, and obtain a license.

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In practice, possession of firearms above .22 caliber is severely restricted. As with much of the rest of Mexican law enforcement, corruption is a major element of the gun licensing system.

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Even government agencies, frustrated with the Defense Ministry, sometimes smuggle in their own weapons from the U.S.

In August 1985, the army -- using the pretext of a routine inspection -- confiscated the weapons of the Juarez police. Many observers believed the confiscation took place because the city government was controlled by PAN, the leading opposition party. Guns confiscated by the police or the military often end up on the black market.
http://www.davekopel.com/espanol/Mexican-Gun-Laws.htm