Mexico's Defense Secretariat said it has located 11 gun smuggling routes from the U.S., from where most weapons seized in the country come.
In a report, the entity said it was able to spot the routes as a result of cooperation with the General Prosecutor's Office, and that most of them are used by criminal organizations. Overall, authorities were able to seize almost 6,000 guns between November 2024 and May this year.
The document adds that 43% of the guns seized come from Texas. An additional 22% come from Arizona and 9% from California.
Mexico's Security Minister Omar García Harfuch said earlier this year that 75% of the weapons recovered between February and May came from the U.S., a figure also acknowledged by U.S. officials.
The U.S. Supreme Court blocked in early June a $10 billion lawsuit filed by Mexico against U.S. manufacturers for allegedly helping fuel cartel violence in the country with their business practices. Mexico, in fact, has just one store where people can legally buy guns.
The Associated Press detailed that the ruling was unanimous. It followed appeals from manufacturers like Smith & Wesson, Berretta, Colt and Glock. Mexico had requested justices to let the case continue, claiming it was in its early stages.
The country accused the companies of knowing their guns were being smuggled into Mexico and seizing the opportunity to increase their profits.
Despite the adverse ruling, law enforcement in Mexico and the United States are reporting a significant decrease in firearm seizures along the border in recent months. Since Oct. 1—the start of fiscal year 2025 and the beginning of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's administration—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has seized 437 firearms headed to Mexico. That marks a nearly 61% drop compared to the same period in fiscal year 2024, when agents stopped 1,110 firearms from crossing south.
As Border Report noted, firearms moving south are typically purchased by straw buyers in the U.S., then smuggled across the border to supply criminal groups. Most firearms confiscated (62%) are hand guns, while 161 were large firearms.
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