Vasquez'sattorney, Silverio Martinez, said he plans to lobby for leniency, even probation, arguing this is his client's first arrest. NEW YORK (AP) A former Mexican presidential cabinet member was convicted in the U.S. on Tuesday of taking massive bribes to protect the violent drug cartels he was tasked with combating. Oh, surprise, surprise, who was AG of California when this was happening?? The reason the cartels had use for the Barrett is chilling: When you're as large as, say, Los Zetas, your "turf wars" involve the Mexican army. The majority of U.S. states allow citizens to buy .50-caliber weapons . None of the manufacturers, including Barrett, responded to Reuters requests for comment. Guns and munitions confiscated from alleged Mexican drug dealers Alberto Sanchez Hinojosa aka "El Tony", Francisco Arteaga Espino and Leonel Cruz Hernandez are displayed to the press in Mexico City on September 7, 2008, after they were detained in Villahermosa, Tabasco state. Blaming Californias laws for failing is about as stupid as blaming Blaming Democrats for inter city crime but thats another story thats way over your head. November 23, 2022 Contact: Phone Number: (571) 387-3831 For Immediate Release Debt Collector and Drug Distributor for Cartel Connected, Violent, Drug Distribution Ring, Sentenced to 10 years in Prison Previous slide Next slide Handgun in leather holster Plastic bag of fentanyl pills Move slider to item #1 Move slider to item #2 weapons to Mexico. The government accuses gun makers and suppliers of knowingly flooding the market with firearms attractive to drug cartels. ", Once the purchase was completed and the "customer" left the store, " the money was counted with the cameras watching it. Actively providing firearms to one of the most dangerous organizations in the world and Guns Drive Cartel Violence in Mexico. We know theyre being illegally trafficked through California into Tijuana. [Theres no way for people to buy guns like those in California, either; they are not ban compliant], In 2018, the homicide rate in Mexico hit a record high of 35,964, spiking 12 percent from the year before, according to the countrys National Institute of Statistics and Geography. Top ATF officials have said in congressional testimony that 90 percent of the guns submitted for tracing by Mexican authorities are from the United States. Thousands evacuated in North Korea as heavy rain destroys Canadian teacher with size-Z prosthetic breasts placed on paid leave, What's next for Buster Murdaugh after dad's murder conviction, life sentence, Buster Murdaugh got 'very drunk' with dad 2 months after mom, brother murdered: source, Tom Sandoval, Raquel Leviss planned to tell Ariana Madix about affair, Prince Harry says hes not a victim: I never looked for sympathy, Allison Holker pens touching note to kids after Stephen tWitch Boss death, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant allegedly flashes gun at a strip club, Kellyanne Conway and George Conway to divorce. So CA is itself one of those neighboring States that is (cough) responsible for illegal firearms/use across a boundry? We know theyre being illegally trafficked through California into Tijuana. "It's hard to pinpoint exactly where we think a particular load (of guns) we seized was going,"Lestrange said. In January, a Mexican judge charged. Whats so hard to understand about that? The No. ", Yvonne Hemsey/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. We've received your submission. Given the record number of murders there last year almost 36,000 Mexicans could certainly use some self-defense tools. Automatic guns and rocket-propelled grenades follow drug trade routes back to China, Guatemala, and the black markets in Central and South America. Did they buy ammo? Comparing it to Belgium and Czech and German Model 98s made the M70 look like a piece of trash. Most of Mexicos gun violence (and violence in general) has primarily come from the cartel wars through the illicit gun trade and insatiable drug thurst facilitated by the United States. That's the NRA position.". The weapons are sold to the cartels, often for three or four times the original price. "Operation Wide Receiver" was a subset of the overall project, centered around Arizona. "I was working in a very large gun store in Phoenix at the time, and we sold everything. Diaz, who lived in Union Gap, a three-hour drive fromSeattle,tried to cross the border northwest of LaredoonInternational Bridge 2 on May 5, 2020. An arrogant armed American Gringo. Mexico: U.S. Supplies 90% Of Cartel's Guns. The cartel can trace its roots to the 1960s and '70s, when farming families entered the marijuana business. They know how to pull the wool over your eyes.". Meanwhile, check out this picture of a gun cache from El Chapo's hide-out: That's a Barrett .50 caliber rifle, confirmed to have gotten to Mexico via the ATF's gun-running program. Your selective quoting left out California being the source of Tijuanas American weapons (which is but a small minority of total weapons used down there, not that the article mentions that relevant fact). Working together across 18 different countries over the course of 10 months, the consortium investigated the global networks of Mexican drug cartels and their political connections around the world. In fact, according to Newsweek, cartel criminals view American guns as status symbols because, well, they work. Officers found all of those brands, except Century Arms,in the shipments smuggled by Diaz, court records show. Another solid reason for the U.S. to pass universal back ground checks. In the world of assault-type weaponry, power is measured by bullet caliber, velocity and range, as well rapidity of fire and ammunition magazine capacity. But, the ATF's "sell guns to cartels and then maybe try to catch them if we've got time" plan actually dates back to the Bush Administration. Of those murders, at least 20,005 were carried out with guns. [and I wonder what fraction of those murders were carried out at the behest of federal authorities by their cartel buddiesthe same Federales that prohibit citizens from arming up to defend themselves against the cartels.]. DEA agents say the cartel was trying to instill fear in its enemies and woo new members. 2. These agencies team withthe U.S. Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco, Firearms and Explosivesto investigate the financing, transportation, and communications methods of smuggling networks. In addition to weapons from the States working better, Mexico cartels view firearms as status symbols, retired DEA agent Jack Riley told The San Diego Union-Tribune: It is really important to these criminal organizations, who stay in business by the threat of violence and through the use of violence; and the tools that they prefer to do that with are American-made guns.. Ban assault weapons, high capacity magazines, body armor, silencers. Called a "technical" by US military.) The article, titled, "The U.S. Must Defeat Mexico's Drug Cartels", . A roster of convicted cartel members, ex-smugglers and former Mexican officials testified that Garca Luna took millions of dollars in cartel cash, met with major traffickers and kept law. Or is it because the CA border is not a barrier to trafficking contraband? How could the ATF make selling firearms to the cartels a more pleasurable process? How AMLO Has Fueled Mexico's Drug War. Mexico suffered more than 40,000 fatal shootings in 2018, according to public briefings by Mexico's Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. While they had been gun-running since 2006, a 2011 report by the inspector general criticized the agency for dedicating too many resources to busting straw purchasers and not enough at busting the cartel guys doing the buying. The cartels then use their members or contract with associates to serve as"consolidators.". The arrests on January 19 are the result of Operation Semper Infidelis, a Los Angeles Strike Force investigation that targeted a domestic weapons trafficking organization that provided firearms and ammunition to the Crtel Jalisco Nueva Generacin (CJNG), one of the largest and most violent drug cartels in Mexico. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Mayor: HISD has two optionsclose school or be taken over, Rare photos show 2 ocelots crossing South Texas road, Willie Nelson pays lovely tribute to another country legend. leaks of official weaponry bought by the Mexican military. The Mexican government claims that more than 68% of illegal guns smuggled across the border are made by those companies, along withBarrett and Witmer Public Safety Group, which acquired Interstate Arms. Two of those weapons were tracked to the murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent: The whole mess immediately became an embarrassment for the Obama administration. A gun that can shoot through tanks is pretty useful for that. They weren't tracking them well enough; everyone made it over the border. Havent you heard anyone who comes to the US and gets a magic piece of paper is just as American and you and I. In the absence of sane border security policies, Guerra said, drug cartels decide who crosses, and people in their organizations use the children to enter the U.S. You have lost 4,020 Federal, State, and Municipal Police killed by the cartels. Gun Companies The lawsuit over drug cartel violence could be part of a bigger change on guns. A Hearst Newspapers survey of 1,600 guns purchased mostly in Texas and Arizona which were either shipped to Mexico or intercepted en route shows the Bushmaster .223 AR-15 ranks second among firearms apparently used in drug warfare. El Mencho:Daughter of Mexican cartel boss sentenced to US prison for violation of Kingpin Act. . While we're busy patting ourselves on the back, you can pat too by voting here and here. (Hollie McKay/Fox News) Moreover, a total of 28,741 recovered weapons . He was badly wounded, while two bodyguards and an innocent bystander were killed. ReporterKarolSurez contributed to this story. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Snowfall is my favorite show centered around drugs - EVER. LMFAO. And he didn't want any ammo for it or any optics for it. June 23, 2022, 4:35 PM. The sheriff believes cartel coyotes are making between $1,000 and $1,500 for every person brought into the country. 1 gun in the Hearst survey was the AK-47 imported from Romania by Century International Arms of Delray Beach, Fla. Century Arms, as it's commonly known, legally circumvents a federal law stipulating that imported rifles must be suitable for "sporting purposes." A gold plated pistol and jewelry, allegedly seized from Manuel Alquisires Garcia, alias "El Meme," sit on display during his presentation to the press of in Mexico City, Monday Sept. 12, 2011. But, one boy was a white boy who told me he had served. The customized gold-plated handgun of Jaime Gonzalez Duran, aka "Hummer", founder of a group of hitmen called the "Zetas", shown to the press at the hangar of the Federal Police in Mexico City, on November 7, 2008. Cartel gunmen armed with AK-47s purchased in Arizona overwhelmed the police, killing eight. Sorry, man -- at least 150 Mexican civilians have been hurt or killed by weapons the ATF let enter Mexico. Reports suggest the Fast and Furious guns are tied to at least 69 killings. "They didn't look like they were all connected One guy came in with his wife and kids. (PS, you may want to arm your Civilians so they can fight the cartel) If our source's store had just followed their guts and refused to sell to the most obviously sketchy buyers, the world would've been a little bit safer. National Police Chief Gen. Oscar Naranjo, holds a handgun seized to Colombian drug lord and former paramilitary leader Pedro Guerrero Castillo, known as "Cuchillo" (Knife), as he speaks during a press conference in Bogota, Colombia, on December 29, 2010. Miguel Diaz Calderon never made it out of Texas. A close reading of the motion referenced above suggests that the deal with the Sinaloa drug gang may have included shipments of guns to the cartel to be used to thin out the ranks of rival drug . By Jared Olson. MLB legend makes surprise appearance at Astros' Spring Training, Hiker takes 'once-in-a-lifetime' photo at Brazos Bend State Park, Eric Gordon trade looking better and better for Houston Rockets, This Texas Hill Country town is the new, cooler Fredericksburg, This is what Houston looks like from space, Oops! You have entered an incorrect email address! Instead, the ATF lost 1,400 (or more!) I hear Chinese AK-74 types a. Theyre American-made guns, Sotomayor told the Union-Tribune. This story has been shared 100,034 times. Not the party of civil rights,, wait the Democratic Party is not nor has it ever been the Party of Civil Rights as it has always opposed and still opposes the Constitution; it has been and continues to be the Party of Civil Right Suppression, the Party of Slavery, the Party of the KKK, the Party who opposed voting rights,, (just Google it, Google any historic Democratic Politician in history). Cant have all those firearms in the USA, so lets pipeline them to Mexico. I do like tacos though. The Barrett M82 was a serious problem for security forces because its armor-piercing bullets can knock out the motors of reconnaissance vehicles and endanger helicopters, said aMexicanofficial, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Mexico: 18 bodies found after suspected drug cartel gun battle The bullet-ridden bodies of 18 men were discovered in Zacatecas state after apparent confrontation between suspected. A Dallas man claimed he didn't knowassault rifles, pistols and ammunitionwere hidden in his silver SUV as he attempted to cross into Mexico from Laredo, Texas. A jury didn't believe him,convictingJose RafaelVasquez last month of attempting to smuggle goods out of the country. And that region continues struggling with. According to my cousin who lived in Mexico City, for many years, the cops have a city day job, and a cartel night job. At the same time, Mexico remains a cautionary preview of what might happen in America if we adopted Mexican-style gun control. "But we also know most of the violence the Mexican government is concerned about against police and against institutions is coming from CJNG and the Sinaloa Cartel" run by the notorious kingpin "El Chapo,"Lestrange said. In Mexico City, the military has a museum used to train officials, diplomats, and cadets about the war on drugs. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives contends the most popular are the FN-57 pistol, once nicknamed the cop-killer for the ammo it could fire; the AR type 223 rifle and the. Vasquez was born in Mexico but raised his family in Dallas, where he ran a moving company with his three adult sons. AP/Eduardo Verdugo. Yes, Mexico has some house cleaning of their own to do, but it would help a great deal if the U.S. had much tighter gun control and drug enforcement. I came here to say this. One thing struck him as particularly odd: " as I'm ringing up the transaction, he has one of those little drawstring backpacks. I do not fault Mexico for failing to try, but I do wonder if somebody down there on the anti-cartel side is simultaneously trying to fail? Last week, the Treasury sanctioned two Mexican businessmen and four Sinaloa Cartel members in connection with the illicit methamphetamine and fentanyl trade. Between 2009 and 2020, authorities seized 358 M82rifles, according to official figures cited by the Milenio newspaper. A Washington man drove to a U.S. border crossing last year in his teal Ford pickup truck loadedwith a hidden arsenal bound for a Mexican cartel war zone. Take a look at some of the flashiest weapons you'll ever see in the slideshow above. The Chicago study proved guns used in crime were often at least 11 years old and had passed through many hands making it impossible to trace them to the person that used them in a crime. The Hearst survey of court cases found these weapons among the top 10: The Belgian-made FN Herstal Five-SeveN: Some versions of this pistol hold 10 rounds; others have a 20-round capacity. Even the much worshiped pre-64 Winchester Model 70s were laughed at by the Europeans when they were first marketed even though the pre-war guns were not all that bad but workmanship after WWII went down rapidly at Winchester. So Ive just one question for you. Its just to easy to buy up second hand guns and ship them to Mexico. Our source and his manager didn't call the authorities immediately -- buying a fancy gun with cash isn't illegal; otherwise, how would we have rap videos? A handgun covered with gold and money sized to alleged financial agent of the drug "Cartel del Golfo", Manuel Alquisires Garcia, aka "El Meme" and also know as Agustin Sanchez Morua, are shown during his presentation to the press on September 12, 2011 in Mexico City. According to prosecutors, the weapons are believed to belong to the Valencia gang, allies of the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel, and most of the 31 pistols found in the raid had gold or silver-plated grips or glittered with diamonds. Diazis part of what cartel members call the Hormiga, Spanish for ant, referring to an ant trail of reliably flowing weapons transported from the southern U.S. to Mexico, said JaesonJones, who tracks cartel trends and previouslymanaged the daily operations of the Texas Rangers'Border Security Operations Center. It is also one of the weapons of choice for drug cartels, according to the. . Barretts were basically the only gun the cartels wanted, and while they are both ridiculous and rich, we get the strange feeling these weren't meant as toys " it started to get more and more severe. But in all honesty the article above does not tell the whole truth about illegal guns in Mexico or South America as drug gangs also get guns from international arms traffickers as well, especially factory made full auto weapons. More than 40 people have been charged in the Upstate of South Carolina as part of a drug-trafficking case known as "Las Seoritas," according to Attorney General Alan Wilson . Say hello to our favorite little Al Pacino movie: The Brian De Palma classic from the '80s that has cemented Tony Montana, his little machine gun friend, and Michelle Pfeiffer's stunning slip dresses in cinema history. We'll sell those guys so many guns they drown in them! It was run by brothers Jorge Luis, Juan David, and Fabio Ochoa Vasquez; Pablo Escobar; Carlos Lehder; George Jung; and Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez. They have special loopholes that allow them to form their own government or something like that. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. 12 of 29 13 of 29 Guns and munitions confiscated from alleged Mexican drug dealers . The Hearst survey parallel the findings of a Violence Policy Center report from 2009 documenting 21 gun-trafficking court cases involving 1,700 weapons funneled to Mexico, as well as a federal law enforcement report this year, based on 2,921 guns recovered in Mexico and traced to original U.S. purchases between December 2006 and November 2010. All Rights Reserved, Fed raises interest rates by 0.5%, the highest rise since 2000, Here are the 14 inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. COPYRIGHT 2005-2023 Cracked is published by Literally media Ltd., The Government Asked Us To Keep Selling Guns To Cartels, Drug Cartels Only Want The Most Dangerous Guns, The Government Dropped The Hammer (And Nothing Happened), Everything Wound Up More Dangerous Than If We Had Just Not Called, Jeff Bridges Dude-est Roles That Arent The Dude, How Hugh Grant Found New Life in Guy Ritchie Action-Comedies, 15 Riveting Items of Trivia That Fell Into Our Laps This Week, Best Retired South Park Characters And If They Should Return, 6 UGLY THINGS I LEARNED SELLING GUNS TO DRUG CARTELS, 5 Insane Things I Learned About Drugs As An Undercover Agent, 6 Ways Life In Cartel-Run Mexico Is Nothing Like You Imagine, 15 Trivia Tidbits About Trailer Park Boys, Every Purposefully Corny Joke from Norm Macdonalds Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget, Ranked, 5 Elaborate Mysterious Projects Carried Out Literally Underground, 15 Bits Of Trivia So Powerful, They Would Have Instantly Vaporized Our Ancestors, I Was the Bowling Consultant on The Big Lebowski, 15 Incredible Inventions That Were, Technically, Gigantic Failures. Worried that weapons purchases for drug cartels might fuel more calls for tougher U.S. gun control laws, gun-rights advocates insist that existing laws are sufficient to control such trafficking. At one point, it was probably four to five of these rifles a week. Pass red flag laws. That figures to 17.6 percent of the 29,000 figure for guns seized in Mexico, as given by the country's attorney general. Really, these propagandists have got to get on the same page. Now its used by more than 70 security agencies across the world, according to Barrett. Pass a domestic terrorism bill.. Total dead including common citizens, murdered politicians and cartel members was at 115,000 estimated for 2006 thru 2018.
How Is The Desert A Symbol In The Alchemist,
Articles F