The Stop Us Arms to Mexico organization has published the “Iron River” report, revealing details about arms trafficking from the United States to Mexico.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has traced 133,558 recovered guns in Mexico, identifying nearly 925 manufacturers. Among these, guns from four major companies – Smith & Wesson, Colt, Glock and Beretta – account for 30% of all guns recovered in Mexico with identified manufacturers.
It was specified that these companies are currently being sued in the United States for negligence in facilitating arms trafficking to Mexico.
The report highlights that between 2015 and 2022, the five US cities that exported the most weapons to Mexico were:
- Houston, Texas (2,452 armas)
- Tucson, Arizona (2,156 armas)
- Phoenix, Arizona (1,745 armas)
- El Paso, Texas (1,658 guns)
- San Antonio, Texas (1,340 guns)
Small towns also play a significant role in gun trafficking. Dealers in McAllen, Texas, for example, were responsible for more than a thousand guns recovered in Mexico during the same period.
The report reveals that between 2010 and 2012, when U.S. gun production and imports were about half of what they are now, 253,000 guns were purchased annually with the intention of trafficking them to Mexico.
Each year, about 20,000 guns recovered in Mexico are submitted to the ATF for tracing. Although gun seizures in Mexico have increased by 45% from 2015 to 2022, the ATF still identifies more than two-thirds of the guns as originating in the United States.
The most common form of trafficking is reported to be the ant trade, where most guns are purchased individually. For example, 942 guns purchased in Maricopa County, Arizona, were recovered in Mexico in 2022, traced to at least 874 individuals.
On average, only one in ten buyers of a trafficked gun purchases more than one gun that is traced back to the same buyer, suggesting that most guns are purchased discreetly, one at a time. This strategy can reduce the risk of capture before the guns cross the border.
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