"Legal U.S. Arms Exports May Be Source of Narco Syndicates' Rising Firepower"

[jody]

Given the MSM distortions and lies re assault weapons and Mexico’s drug cartel, the article below is less speculative than simply blaming the problem on the defunct Assault Weapons Ban and the red-herring gun-show loophole.

More Than $1 billion In Private-Sector Weapons Exports Approved For Mexico Since 2004

The smokescreen being spread by these official mouthpieces of manufactured consensus is that a host of criminal operators are engaging in straw (or fraudulent) gun purchases, making clandestine purchases at U.S. gun shows or otherwise assembling small caches of weapons here in the states in order to smuggle them south of the border to the “drug cartels.”

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The deadliest of the weapons now in the hands of criminal groups in Mexico, particularly along the U.S. border, by any reasonable standard of an analysis of the facts, appear to be getting into that nation through perfectly legal private-sector arms exports, measured in the billions of dollars, and sanctioned by our own State Department. These deadly trade commodities — grenade launchers, explosives and “assault” weapons —are then, in quantities that can fill warehouses, being corruptly transferred to drug trafficking organizations via their reach into the Mexican military and law enforcement agencies, the evidence indicates.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

According to an analysis of the DCS reports, some $1 billion in defense hardware was approved for export to Mexico via private U.S. companies between fiscal year 2004 and fiscal year 2007 — the most recent year for which data was available. Overall, during the same period, a total of some $3.7 billion in weapons and other military hardware was approved for export under the DCS program to all of Latin America and the Caribbean.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Following is a sample of the types of arms shipments approved for export to Mexico through the DCS program during fiscal years 2006 and 2007 alone:
• $3.3 million worth of ammunition and explosives, including ammunition-manufacturing equipment;
• 13,000 nonautomatic and semiautomatic firearms, pistols and revolvers at a total value of $11.6 million;
• 42 grenade launchers valued at $518,531;
• 3,578 explosive projectiles, including grenades, valued at $78,251;
• Various night-vision equipment valued at $963,201.

[villager]

1. Except, of course, you're in favor of these perfectly legal arms exports?

Or are you saying there are circumstances that warrant restricting certain weapons in certain places?

[virginia mountainman]

3. Well, have you seen the Russian Weapon Export website??

http://www.rusarm.ru/

I am certain that Moscow would gladly take a few Pesos for some hardware...

EDIT: Click Menu, than products, to see the "goodies"

[derby378]

16. I'd settle for a tin of 7N10 ammo, myself

:evilgrin:

[jody]

4. More significant question is whether Sec. of State HRC will use her authority to stop exports? n/t

[michreject]

10. Does the SOS deal with domestic issues

Wouldn't some other state dept. handle this?

[jody]

13. From the article in the OP, "The U.S. State Department oversees a program that requires private

companies in the United States to obtain an export license in order to sell defense hardware or services to foreign purchasers — which include both government units and private buyers in other countries. These arms deals are known as Direct Commercial Sales . Each year, the State Department issues a report tallying the volume and dollar amount of DCS items approved for export."

[karynnj]

21. This is not something the SoS can do

[jody]

23. See #13. n/t

[X_Digger]

6. Maybe you missed it..

But various talking heads have been asserting that the gun problem in mexico has been fueled mostly by straw purchases via border state gun shows and stores.

What this article asserts is that the State Department (you know, HRC's own department) has been approving the sale of weapons to mexico- weapons that your average joe doesn't have access to, and that an AWB wouldn't affect.

Cripes, did you even read the article before you opened your mouth??

[FudaFuda]

7. Primary source of cartel arms is NOT the US civilian market

The point of the article is that while recent news has been spouting the statistic that '90% of the Mexican cartels' weapons come from the US, the specific source is not explained. This article is discussing the fact that military arms (full auto rifles, grenades, explosives) being sold by the US private arms industry (i.e. military contractors) direct to the Mexican and Central American governments are in turn being handed over to the cartels. The US civilian market has effectively no impact on the cartels obtaining automatic weapons, grenades, etc. and no gun control law would do anything to curb the problem. The US State Dept is approving the sale of military arms to countries where corrupt government officials can profit from handing the shipments over to drug lords. Simple, but not showing up in mainstream news.

[slackmaster]

26. The weapons mentioned in the piece are all highly restricted in Mexico

They were sold to the Mexican government for use by Mexican police and military. It has nothing to do with the US market in civilian sporting and self-defense firearms.

[villager]

28. My original question, it appears, goes unanswered...

n/t

[virginia mountainman]

2. Would someone PLEASE...

Send this to HRC and Holder.....

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Police don't get RPGs... and those are RUSSIAN made

but I am sure you knew that.

Given I have seen it with my two eyes, weapons going to Mexico in less than legal manner, whatever

[virginia mountainman]

8. Don't you know?!

Those come from American Gun Shows, and the Assault Weapon ban against semi automatics will save Mexico from drug violence....


:sarcasm:

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. They come from Gun shows, they come from weapons dealers

and your point?

Now you may have a problem with that reality, but for those of us who got to enjoy the results your sarcasm is just a sad statement of the day

[FudaFuda]

11. Still has nothing to do with the lawful US civilian market.

Everything you describe having witnessed in this and other threads is already illegal.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. Selling weapons to people is not illegal, nobody claimed such

EXPORTING them to Mexico IS illegal

Get it now?

When a DEALER sells weapons to posers, who he KNOWS will be taking guns across he is breaking US Law...

Not that the people buying the guns will care if they violate US or MEXICAN law...

Get a friggin clue

But having controls at the local gun shows would help, incidentally not only with that ilegal trade

Not that people like you get it either

[FudaFuda]

14. Like I said, already illegal

You think BATFE isn't watching gun shows? If you're a dealer with an FFL, you have to run the background check on all purchasers. Period. There is no 'loophole' for dealers - they have to do busniess at a gun show the same as they do in their shops. If you're not a dealer, some states allow face-to-face sales without a background check. That's the horrendous 'gun-show loophole' we hear about. But if you go to a gun show and try to run an unofficial business by taking advantage of that you will end up in federal prison. You try going to a gun show for three, four months in a row selling a few weapons, or just selling a large amount of weapons all at once, and just see if you don't get a visit from ATF.

By the way, since you brought up RPG's, who's selling RPG's at gun shows? They're not legal class II firearms AFAIK, so I'd be interested to know where the gun show is being held where RPG's are on the table, or even under it.

As for the straw purchases you described (dealer sells to person he knows will smuggle or deliver to criminal), like you mentioned those transactions are already illegal.

Just wtf are you talking about, that current law doesn't already cover?? And if your problem is that current laws aren't being enforced (which I would tend to agree with you on that), then what good would more laws do?

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. IT makes it easier

like I said, you don't get it

Gun nuts don't get it

But as the body count rises in the US... this will lead to a demand for controls, history

Mexico, people in the states don't care if 90% of weapons are coming from the US

That is the bloody and fucking point

And the controls will come

Just as they did in the 1930s

They are not taking on the batshit crazies right now... they will... get behind the parade, once the people demand it..

[FudaFuda]

17. what?!? lol.

wow.

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. LOL all you want...

LOL indeed...

And what more laws will do? You'll see... gun nuts will not like it... but they will come

LOL all you want...

indeed

There are many reasons why I usually avoid the gun nuts on DU... but the crazies have to be confronted

As to what laws have to be enforced, they can start with enforcing what is on the books, and go from there

But regulation is coming

PART OF THAT FUCKING THING WE CALL US HISTORY, not the myths you like to live with

Free clue... Gun Control WAS COMMON in the old west

[DrCory]

31. What I Don't Get...

Is your claim that fully operational RPG's can and have been purchased at American gun shows.

If you wish to maintain ANY credibility in ANY further discussion of the RKBA on this site from this point on, you REALLY need to provide proof of this.

[benEzra]

32. Selling automatic weapons, grenade launchers, grenades, and RPG's is...

unless the buyer is police/military/government, or the rare wealthy collector with a BATFE Form 4.

[virginia mountainman]

19. Hold up pardner!

I was poking fun at some of the comments made elsewhere!

The Sarcasm tag must not have worked as advertised.

[old mark]

24. That old "gun show" story was disproved by the FBI back in

the 90's in an official report on sources of guns used in crime. I guess the truth takes time to trickle down.....


mark

[DrCory]

25. Are You Claiming...

That at least some of the RPG's in use in Mexico are being purchased at American gun shows?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

29. Actually they don't

[karynnj]

20. If you are right, then why did the Senate hearing this morning speak

Of Mexico working with the US to get the serial numbers of weapons used recently and tracing them to an El Paso dealer who now faces charges?

If they investigate and find the Mexican military is the source, then they deal with it that way.

[jody]

22. Your assertion "If you are right" ignores the fact that I did not write the article. n/t

[slackmaster]

27. Nobody is denying that some weapons have been diverted from the civilian market and smuggled to Mex.

But that is only a small part of the problem.

The weapons being used by the drug cartels are largely of US origin, but it was really the US govenrment that exported them. Not private individuals.

[cliffordu]

30. Yawn.