Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mexican-drug-cartels-american-weapons-smuggled-across-border/
Mexican drug cartels have been smuggling a vast arsenal of even military-grade weapons out of the U.S. with the help of American citizens, a CBS Reports investigation has found.
Exclusively-obtained U.S. intelligence documents and interviews with half a dozen current and former officials reveal that the American government has known this for years but, sources said, it’s done little to stop these weapons trafficking networks inside the United States, which move up to a million firearms across the border annually, including belt-fed miniguns and grenade launchers.
Dozens of cartel gunrunning networks, operating like terrorist cells, pay Americans to buy weapons from gun stores and online dealers all across the country, as far north as Wisconsin and even Alaska, according to U.S. intelligence sources. The firearms are then shipped across the southwest border through a chain of brokers and couriers.
When CBS News pressed the Justice Department about its findings, a senior official confirmed that “We absolutely recognize the problem here that … the lion’s share of firearms trafficked to Mexican cartels are coming from the United States.”
Aren’t they just following the ATF’s example? The last people caught and never prosecuted were the ATF coopting a New Mexico gun store to smuggle weapons to Mexico.
For those that don’t know: Operation Fast and Furious
Not sure why you called out Fast and Furious and not the initial Operation Wide Receiver done under Bush which had the same issues. In fact, your link is for both of them but you titled it differently from the article.
Because the other reply to this comment mentioned Paul Walker, which is a Fast and Furious reference.
Typically you would reply to the comment you are trying to reference.
You probably would have seen the other comment if you clicked on the original post instead of clicking on my comment using my profile history.
I did see the other comment. You did not reply to them so your reference would have been to OP’s comment. And sorry, you are not important enough to go through your post history.
Lol caught. The other comment would have been obvious if you didn’t click my post history. Take the L graciously and move on.
Starring Paul Walker
The ATF did Operation Wide Receiver under Bush and Operation Fast and Furious under Obama because of all the illegal gun trafficking to Mexico. So the ATF was following an example that was already there. The ATF was shitty about keeping track of all those guns.
That said, illegal smuggling of guns into Mexico has been an issue for decades. Over 80% of illegal guns in Mexico come from the US.
Something isn’t being reported correctly here. You cannot just walk into a sporting goods store and buy a belt-fed minigun. They are sold specifically by SOTs (Federally Licensed Dealers) and aren’t transferable to individuals.
So either the cartels are stealing this type of weaponry from the military or dealers, or a federal licensee is directly involved in walking the shit across. Either way it means 1) the Feds fucked up royally and 2) it should be a pretty easy investigation.
Yes, but I’m betting that’s a minority, or even likely a one off thing. The article mentions those because it’s more surprising, not because it’s representative. It’ll likely be harder to find than this would make it seem, or this person is already in custody.
Check this one out; https://youtu.be/8JsvNSmLxa0?si=df0JZqbBGRm5NXqP
They also smuggle them into Canada to sell to gangs here. If Americans wanted to be tough on crime, they’d restrict gun sales.
There’s too much money to be made and campaign “donations” to be raised to worry about gun crime.
