SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — Mexico’s head of public safety said of the more than 10,000 guns seized from October of last year through April, 75 percent came from the U.S.
Omar García Harfuch made those comments earlier this week during the daily presidential briefing in Mexico City, adding that since 2019, the Mexican government has been asking U.S. officials to put a stop to the “transfer of weapons that nourish organized crime in Mexico.”
“It’s worth mentioning that about 75 percent of weapons in Mexico originate in the United States, something authorities in that country have admitted,” he said.
He went on to say a joint effort between the two countries is needed to stop the flow of guns from north of the border into Mexico, adding that President Donald Trump has ordered the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to implement an “iron fist” to stop the flow of guns from the United States to Mexico.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said this is one of the topics she broached with Trump during a conference call last Friday.
The U.S. and Mexico have been working closely to trace the origin of guns used in drug cartel massacres and other crimes south of the border.
The number of gun trace requests from the Mexican government went up 25% in just two years — 2021 to 2023 — according to a Jan. 8 ATF report.
The trafficked guns primarily were 9mm pistols, .22-caliber handguns, AK-47-style 7.62mm calibers and variants of the AR-15 rifle. Most were typically sold at retail firearm stores, pawn shops and directly from the manufacturer, according to the report.
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