Houston, Tucson, and Phoenix: US Cities Fueling Mexico"s Arms Crisis
- A report indicates that a large number of firearms recovered in Mexico are sourced from the U.S., particularly from Texas and Arizona.
- The number of weapons recovered by Mexican authorities has increased by 45% from 2015 to 2022, with two-thirds manufactured in the U.S.
- The ongoing arms trafficking crisis underscores the need for both countries to address the flow of weapons contributing to violence in Mexico.
A report by Stop US Arms to Mexico reveals that a significant number of weapons fueling violence in Mexico originate from the United States, particularly from cities in Texas and Arizona. Over the past nine years, Mexican authorities have recovered 543 firearms manufactured by Palmetto, a gun store that promotes the sale of AR-15 and AK-47 rifles. The report highlights that two-thirds of the weapons recovered in Mexico were made in the U.S., with a 45% increase in recovered firearms between 2015 and 2022. The trafficking of firearms is exacerbated by the secondary market, where guns purchased in the U.S. can resurface in Mexico years later. For instance, 942 guns bought in Maricopa County, Arizona, were linked to 874 individuals, indicating a widespread issue of gun purchases contributing to the arms crisis. The report also notes that the Mexican Ministry of National Defense legally acquired around 62,000 firearms from 2018 to 2023, raising concerns about the implications of these acquisitions. The organization argues that the U.S. fails to adhere to foreign policy principles that prohibit selling weapons to entities involved in violent crimes or human rights violations. This situation is compounded by allegations of collusion within Mexican military units, which may manipulate organized crime dynamics rather than simply supplying weapons. As armed violence continues to escalate in Mexico, the flow of weapons from the U.S. shows no signs of abating, highlighting a critical issue that demands urgent attention from both nations to address the root causes of arms trafficking and its devastating impact on society.