Mexican Cartel Gun-Runner Arrested in AZ

[HK G3]

I thought this was interesting.

Of course they made a big deal out of the FN Five-seveN and the .50 cals, since those are clearly the biggest threats facing anyone today... They screwed up saying that a .50 was the most powerful gun you can buy in the US legally. Someone hasn't heard of the 20mm... or the howitzer

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/04/03/gun.smuggling/index.html

(CNN) -- The alleged leader of a firearms trafficking network believed to be smuggling guns into Mexico -- where police say they are used against law enforcement officers by members of Mexican drug cartels -- was arrested Thursday in Arizona, authorities said.
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Victor Varela was arrested by the ATF as part of the agency's ongoing Project Gunrunner.
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Victor Varela was arrested by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as part of the agency's ongoing Project Gunrunner, according to an ATF release. He was in the custody of the Maricopa County, Arizona, sheriff.

"Law enforcement officers disrupted a group of gun traffickers and recovered several weapons, including .50-caliber semiautomatic rifles and several handguns, allegedly intended to supply drug traffic organization members of the Juarez Cartel in Palomas, Mexico," the statement said.

In state charges, prosecutors allege Varela and his co-defendants bought a number of guns in Arizona intending to supply the Mexican cartel members. The group allegedly transported the illegally purchased guns to New Mexico, and then into Mexico.

A .50-caliber weapon is the largest that can legally be bought in the United States, and is illegal in Mexico. Authorities believe a .50-caliber weapon was used in recent months to kill Francisco Ledesma Salazar, a police commander in Juarez, Mexico. He is among five high-ranking Mexican police officials killed this year in what Mexico authorities describe as an escalating war between police and drug cartels.

Last week, 2,000 troops were sent to Juarez by the Mexican government in an effort to quell the violence there, which has claimed some 200 lives since January.
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* Smugglers' deadly cargo: Cop-killing guns

Guns are difficult to buy legally in Mexico, but can be obtained just north of the border at gun shows and gun shops. Project Gunrunner was launched as an effort to help Mexican police by cracking down on illegal smuggling of guns and ammunition, and has led to several arrests and seizures. Video Watch how the weapons fuel a little-known war »

"This case was made one of our highest priorities because of the nature of the crime alleged to be committed by Varela," U.S. Marshal David Gonzales said in the ATF release.

Guns featured in a CNN Special Investigations Unit report last week, confiscated by Juarez police, are believed to have been smuggled into Mexico by Varela, according to an ATF spokesman.

Authorities said one recent discovery, in a storage locker in Yuma, Arizona, yielded 42 weapons and hundreds of rounds of .50-caliber bullets already belted to be fed into a machine gun-style weapon, as well as Fabrique Nationale pistols, semiautomatic handguns that fire a 5.7-by-28-millimeter round.

"What's interesting about this gun, why it's in high demand, is the nickname that it has in Mexico," said William Newell, ATF special agent in charge, about the Fabrique National pistol. "It's called 'mata policias,' or 'cop killer.' "
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Charging documents allege that Varela was attempting to buy a fully automatic M-60 machine gun for a drug cartel associate in Palomas, authorities said. "Additionally, a number of firearms recovered by Mexico law enforcement ... allegedly were trafficked by Varela's gun smuggling network," the ATF statement said.

U.S. authorities are sharing intelligence with their Mexican counterparts to assist in ongoing investigations, the ATF said.

 

[Bezoar]

man, the jaurez cartel really is up on hard times if this is true. Traditionally they just purchase "lost/unrepairable weapons" from the mexican authorities pledged to take out the cartels.

Or simply buy straight from the manufacturer through underlings in south american, etc. Never heard of a cartel buying from the local houston texas wallymart.

and besides, dont they pay attention that pre belted 50 BMG rounds are usually the cheapest per cartridge to get nowadays? is like saying everybody with loaded machine gun belt for the maxim has one in the shed out back.

 

[Kind of Blued]

Police Auction?

Please?

I'll gaurd the border with 'em.

Can I play with 'em for a little?

 

[waterhouse]

Never heard of a cartel buying from the local houston texas wallymart.

At least in recent years this is fairly common (perhaps not from the wallymart, but buying in America and smuggling south is pretty common). In general, drugs and illegal aliens come north, cash and guns go south. I always thought the parallels between our War on Drugs and Mexico's War on Guns were interesting.

I've met with some of the ATF guys working on Project Gunrunner. Good guys.

 

[Gunnerpalace]

Interesting to note that the crooks THINK these are "cop-killers" looks like someone listens to the VPC.

 

[brighamr]

Smuggling guns from America... why not smuggle guns from a different country? (ie the countries you can get FA AKs for $200 a piece)

Oh, and this will only get better when the Super Highway is completed...

 

[CWL]

They smuggle guns from across the border because it is convenient and the border is relatively open. How hard is it to get into Mexico?

Drug dealers and gunrunners are just as succeptible to gun hype as are most Americans, thus you see an interest in the Five-seveN. Armor-piercing might in a handgun! Wow, perfect for those Tony Montoya moments when facing the Federales...

 

[brighamr]

I fully understand our lack of border control, what I was commenting on was price. For the price of one $8000 .50 they smuggle from the US, they could smuggle 500 Full Auto AKs from a different country...

 

[dewage83]

Interesting to note that the crooks THINK these are "cop-killers"

yea they arnt actucally armor penatrating right? box o truth? and if you watch the video on the site it shows them at the range firing a fully auto ak... i dont think that was from a gun show or wally world.

 

[rhubarb]

There was a capture in Matamoros (across the river from Brownsville, TX) a few months ago of dozens of ARs that were southbound. Seems like we aren't the only ones who appreciate a fine weapon.

Seems like smuggled AKs are available in Mexico. I know that I've been told a couple of times that full auto AKs are readily available on this side of the river. I assume they were smuggled over here from Mexico.

 

[Destructo6]

I fully understand our lack of border control,

Other than large quantities of US cash, what goes south is generally Mexico's concern. That is, unless those items come back to the US to guard other illegal stuff.

In the last good drug seizure that involved long arms, it was obvious that those were US market guns. Specifically, M4-style rifles without muzzle threads.