Not surprising that firearms in Mexico have ties to El Paso

On 12.14.08, In Narco Wars, By PMC

"Smuggled weapons that end up in Mexico likely are being used in the current drug-related violence, as well as in the (United) States, where they often end up in the hands of gangsEL PASO – The recent sentencing of two men convicted of federal arms-trafficking charges represents the latest cases with ties to El Paso investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

 

John Avelar, 32, of El Paso and Jonatan López-Gutiérrez, 33, of Mexico were sentenced, respectively, to 37 months and 48 months in prison, after pleading guilty to their roles in a gun-smuggling scheme.

The indictment against them and others listed several weapons purchased from licensed dealers in El Paso, including a .50-caliber sniper rifle, then apparently smuggled into Mexico.

Investigations and prosecutions have increased significantly under the ATF’s Project Gunrunner and eTrace programs, which are carried out in collaboration with Mexican authorities, said Tom Crowley, ATF spokesman in Dallas.

“Since October 1, in the Dallas division, the ATF has opened approximately 50 Project Gunrunner cases, with the bulk of them out of El Paso,” Crowley said. “This does not include cases still being worked on from fiscal year 2007, or cases out of the Houston division.

“Smuggled weapons that end up in Mexico likely are being used in the current drug-related violence, as well as in the (United) States, where they often end up in the hands of gangs. Because of the proximity to the border and the large number of firearm dealers, a lot of the weapons recovered in Mexico originate from Houston. We also have a significant number of weapons coming from Dallas and other areas of Texas, including El Paso.”

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Mexico’s 10 percent plan for guns

On 09.24.08, In Border News, Mexico Today, Narco Wars, Smugglers Brew, By PMC

Weapons seized at the US-Mexico border destined for cartels in Mexico. This is not what the Second Amendment is about!Mexico’s government plans to search 10 percent of all vehicles entering the country from the United States in an effort to curb arms smuggling, the attorney general said Tuesday.

Most illegal weapons in Mexico come from the United States, according to officials in both countries.

Many end up in the hands of powerful drug cartels who supply most of the cocaine entering the United States from South America.

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ATF seizes guns bound for Mexico

On 08.19.08, In Border News, Narco Wars, Smugglers Brew, By PMC

Gun trafficking to Mexico has increased as the Mexican government tries to address drug cartels more fiercely.

Gun trafficking to Mexico has increased as the Mexican government tries to address drug cartels more fiercely.

Phoenix’s branch of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said on Friday it took 18 automatic weapons bound for Mexico off Arizona streets before they got south of the border.

The guns were heading to drug cartels in Mexico from the U.S., said William Newell, special agent in charge, ATF, Phoenix field division.

Newell said agents found five of them strapped underneath a truck heading for the border two weeks ago. Then they found 13 more two days later.

Agents said a women made a straw purchase of 13 in Phoenix, meaning she lied, saying the guns were for her, when they were, in fact, going to a Mexican drug cartel.

“The issue is she was trying to earn some money,” Newell said. “And it’s unfortunate, because, now, she’s in big trouble.”

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Phoenix gun dealer sold to Mexican drug cartels

On 05.06.08, In Legal Actions, Narco Wars, By PMC

PHOENIX—The arrest of a gun shop owner on Tuesday broke up a suspected firearms trafficking operation that supplied violent Mexican drug cartels, authorities said.

Agents raided X Calibur Guns and arrested George Iknadosian after undercover agents bought guns at the store indicating they were to be trafficked to Mexico, said Carlos Baixauli, a special agent with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Iknadosian, 46, knowingly sold at least 650 firearms, including high-end semiautomatic pistols and assault-style rifles, to drug cartels, the ATF said.

The investigation began 11 months ago after some guns involved in crimes in Mexico were traced to X Caliber Guns in Phoenix, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said.

Also arrested were two Mexican brothers who are accused of recruiting “straw buyers” to purchase weapons at X Calibur Guns that would then be trafficked to the drug cartels.

Hugo Gamez, 26, and Cesar Gamez, 28, were legally living in the Phoenix metro area, but Baixauli said the brothers worked for a major Mexican drug cartel.

“This is not just taking guns to Mexico,” Phoenix police Asst. Chief Andy Anderson said. “This is putting guns in the hands of drug dealers and human smugglers … This is a despicable crime.”

The three men in custody face charges including conducting an illegal enterprise, misconduct involving weapons, money laundering, forgery and fraudulent schemes. It wasn’t clear whether they had lawyers.

“The bottom line is illegal gun trafficking is not only destroying Mexico, but some of these guns may get back to the United States,” Baixauli said. “It puts our law enforcement officers in danger, and in Mexico, it decimates law enforcement.”

And the looney toons of the right will decry this arrest and whine about Second Amendment rights while they are demanding a border fence to keep out all of the illegals and the violence spilling over into the United States, while refusing to acknowledge, that in many cases, the cause of the problems in Mexico can be found right here at home! Imagine that!

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So what’s up with Swift Transportation a week later?

On 03.04.08, In U.S. Trucking News, By PMC

It’s been what, a week now, since the news everyone was talking about was the multi agency raid on Swift Transportations Memphis terminal and truck driving school, or was it the Tennessee Department of Safety, on site license office. Things tend to get blurred when nobody knows anything but everyone’s an expert.

So what’s going on? Is Swift actually planning to cut 3,000 jobs in the next 6 weeks as one commenter suggested?

Is the Securities and Exchange Commission after Jerry Moyes ass again for insider trading or stock manipulation as they were in 2005?

Or perhaps is the State of Tennessee looking for a crooked employee issuing bogus licenses? It appears we’ll have to wait until someone comes out with a press release, someone other than Swift Transportation, that is.

TDOS CheckpointBut looking around, I did discover something interesting. This news release from TDHS from last year, shows a roadside operation using basically the same agencies as were present for last weeks “raids”.

The multi-agency event included members of TEMA, TBI, TDOT, TDEC, the Tennessee National Guard, the federal Department of Homeland Security, FBI, ATF, TSA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, RAD Health and several local police agencies. Nuclear detection devices were utilized at several checkpoints to identify radio-active materials. Three were found but determined to be legal shipments.

Everyone who has been on the road a while is aware of the overkill Tennessee engages in when they go on a tear. Matter of fact, I passed through one of these north of Chattanooga a couple of weeks ago. Didn’t realize it at the time, but was curious about all the trailer’s, various LE vehicles and satelite uplinks in the rest area.

Perhaps this is more of the same but for a different purpose. The whole operation could probably have been conducted with a team of detectives and a search warrant.

So we continue to wait.

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