Shifting from immigration to arms smuggling

[Keorythe]

California lawmakers and the Obama administration have begun to shift U.S. border policy with Mexico, abruptly changing focus from illegal immigration to the flow of cash and weapons from the United States that is fueling a savage war between the Mexican government and powerful drug cartels.

"It is unacceptable to have 90 percent of the guns that are picked up in Mexico and used to shoot judges, police officers, mayors, kidnap innocent people and do terrible things come from the United States," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said at a hearing Tuesday. "I am appalled that you can buy a 50-caliber sniper weapon anywhere and it's not restricted to a federal firearms dealer - you can just buy it."


Government officials say 90 percent of the arms in the drug wars come from the United States, including grenades and rocket launchers. Southbound drug cash is estimated as high as $25 billion a year. With the death count last year in Mexico at 6,290, more than the United States has lost in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, Mexican officials are pleading with U.S. counterparts to help stop the southbound smuggling and focus on reducing U.S. drug consumption.

Focus shifts to flow of cash, arms into Mexico





This is smoke and mirrors from "the Messiah". I'll give him alot of credit though as its a masterful stroke of politics. It gives him alot of leeway and breathing space in the immigration department while giving a smoke screen and excuse to go after firearms. By reducing immigration "raids" and putting more emphasis on border "protection" from violence he appeases pro-illegal alien groups and the hispanic vote. Whats ironic here is that Immigration and Customs don't deal with violence, thats for state agencies or the FBI to handle so scaling back makes no sense.

Expect to see some of this used as backdoor legislation for future gun control measure attempts. Analysts are already speculating that much of the info thats being handed over is cherry picked.


Here are a few examples of why.

Most of these weapons are being smuggled from Central American countries or by sea, eluding U.S. and Mexican monitors who are focused on the smuggling of semiauto- matic and conventional weapons purchased from dealers in the U.S. border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

Amid the recent spate of attacks in Michoacan, federal police on Feb. 20 announced the discovery of 66 fragmentation grenades in the fake bottom of a truck intercepted in southern Mexico, just over the border from Guatemala. The two men arrested with the cargo told police they were transporting the grenades to Morelia.

Drug cartels' new weaponry means war <---LA Times not a Republican or NRA article.

As time went on, parties in the city at middle class Mexican homes become a way of life. Most Mexican managers in the plant knew I was a gun wonk. As it turns out, they couldn't wait to invite me over to their place on a Friday night to show me their collection. Semi-autos, some very high-end Sigs and other European handguns were not uncommon along with piles of old revolvers. I thought I had seen everything in the states, but in Mexico it's not uncommon for people to own full-auto military rifles. Everything from an M16, UZI machine pistols and the most popular, select-fire AK47 military rifles. These are not the so-called "assault weapons" you can buy at the local gun shop in the U.S., but full select-fire military-issue rifles. Now, I know you want to know and are dying to ask; Did I see any U.S. military-issue weapons stolen from the U.S. military? Not a single one was marked with U.S. military markings. Everything was marked with additional foreign markings on the receiver, including M16 rifles, or they had nothing at all. I saw firearms manufactured in Europe, China, Russia and South America along with U.S. manufactured weapons. I saw rifles that looked familiar with no place of manufacture, no serial number or manufacturer's logo.

It seems Mexicans have a rich heritage of firearms ownership prior to the ban in 1968. Despite the laws against owning them, they ignore it. Most Mexicans will say they need it for personal protection of themselves and their family. The other reason is they don't trust the government or local law enforcement. If they have to use it in their home for self-defense, whether they end up in jail is all dependent on how much money they can come up with, or who they know in the government

You and I Can't Buy the Guns Mexican Cartels Own

 

[jamesrage]

I do think they will try to use this to try to enact another anti-2nd amendment/anti-American legislation. I do not give a **** where Mexicans get their firearms. If our government was that worried about **** being smuggled from our country to Mexico then they would actually secure the damn border and put the military on our borders. Some traitors in office will be pretending they give a **** what happens in Mexico and will demand that we do something about our laws regarding the 2nd amendment.