Defense News ,Mexico :- Mexico announced on Monday that it had detected the entry of US military weapons into the country, attributing the phenomenon to firearms trafficking from its northern neighbor, which it claims is contributing to drug cartel-related violence.
During a news conference, Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena revealed that the Mexican defense ministry had notified Washington about the inflow of arms designated "for the exclusive use of the US army." Urging the need for an immediate investigation, Barcena refrained from providing further details on the matter.
The issue of arms smuggling was a focal point of discussions between the two nations in Washington on Friday, where Barcena and other high-ranking Mexican officials were on an official visit.
Mexico has consistently held the United States responsible, citing its lenient gun laws as the catalyst for the continuous flow of weapons to Mexican cartels, often funded by drug sales to US consumers. The Mexican government has taken legal action by filing two lawsuits in US courts against the firearms industry.
On Monday, US Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, emphasized that curbing the flow of weapons from the US to Mexico is a priority for President Joe Biden. Salazar noted that 70 percent of the weapons causing violence in Mexico originate from the United States.
Mexican authorities estimate that over half a million weapons are trafficked into the country annually from the United States. Despite Mexico's stringent controls on weapons sales, obtaining firearms legally is nearly impossible, leading to the prevalence of drug-related violence involving firearms.
Since 2006, when the Mexican government deployed the military to combat drug trafficking, there have been over 420,000 murders, with the majority attributed to criminal gangs.
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