From the TSRA

The "War on Gunz in Mexico" is starting to hit home.

From the TSRA:

June 22, 2009 - FFLs and purchasers of "certain types" of firearms in Texas are being scrutinized by BATF due to the gun smuggling into Mexico.

Dear John,

In Border States, BATFE Asks: "May We See Your Guns?"

Friday, June 19, 2009

NRA-ILA has recently received several calls from NRA members in border states who have been visited or called by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In some cases, agents have asked to enter these people's homes, and requested serial numbers of all firearms the members possess.

In each case, the agents were making inquiries based on the number of firearms these NRA members had recently bought, and in some cases the agents said they were asking because the members had bought types of guns that are frequently recovered in Mexico.

This kind of questioning may or may not be part of a legitimate criminal investigation. For example, when BATFE traces a gun seized after use in a crime, manufacturers' and dealers' records will normally lead to the first retail buyer of that gun, and investigators will have to interview the buyer to find out how the gun ended up in criminal hands. But in other cases, the questioning may simply be based on information in dealers' records, with agents trying to "profile" potentially suspicious purchases.

On the other hand, some of the agents have used heavy-handed tactics. One reportedly demanded that a gun owner return home early from a business trip, while another threatened to "report" an NRA member as "refusing to cooperate." That kind of behavior is outrageous and unprofessional.

Whether agents act appropriately or not, concerned gun owners should remember that all constitutional protections apply. Answering questions in this type of investigation is generally an individual choice. Most importantly, there are only a few relatively rare exceptions to the general Fourth Amendment requirement that law enforcement officials need a warrant to enter a home without the residents' consent. There is nothing wrong with politely, but firmly, asserting your rights.

If BATFE contacts you and you have any question about how to respond, you may want to consult a local attorney. NRA members may also call NRA-ILA's Office of Legislative Counsel at (703) 267-1161 for further information. Whether contacting a local attorney or NRA, be sure to provide as many details as possible, including the date, time, and location, agent's name, and specific questions asked.

Copyright 2009, National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action.


Sincerely,

Alice Tripp
Texas State Rifle Association
Legislative Director

Just remember - No warrant, no entrance.

Now that the meme that Americans are responsible for the Drug Gang Violence in Mexico has been such a successful propaganda tool, no matter what the evidence proves, the Antis are now starting to blame us for the violence in Jamaica.

David Codrea reports that U.S. guns blamed for Jamaican crime. At least they are not blaming Texas this time.

How long until the BATF comes knocking on your door, asking to see all the firearms you have legally purchased via an FFL?

Gunz in Mexico

David shows what regular readers should already know, U.S. 'gun control' not the answer to Mexican crime.

Head on over and give this Gun Rights Examiner column a read.

Steve Has...

...done a excellent job of filtering out the facts of the Gunz in Mexico issue.

Lies, Damned lies and Mexican Guns

Head on over and give it a read. Maybe now that a blogger has done the digging, the MSM can report the facts?

Nah...

Fox News is Catching up With Bloggers on the American Gunz in Mexico Farce

And it is about time.

From Fox News:

By William La Jeunesse and Maxim Lott

The Myth of 90 Percent: Only a Small Fraction of Guns in Mexico Come From U.S.

EXCLUSIVE: You've heard this shocking "fact" before -- on TV and radio, in newspapers, on the Internet and from the highest politicians in the land: 90 percent of the weapons used to commit crimes in Mexico come from the United States.

-- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said it to reporters on a flight to Mexico City.

-- CBS newsman Bob Schieffer referred to it while interviewing President Obama.

-- California Sen. Dianne Feinstein said at a Senate hearing: "It is unacceptable to have 90 percent of the guns that are picked up in Mexico and used to shoot judges, police officers and mayors ... come from the United States."

-- William Hoover, assistant director for field operations at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, testified in the House of Representatives that "there is more than enough evidence to indicate that over 90 percent of the firearms that have either been recovered in, or interdicted in transport to Mexico, originated from various sources within the United States."

There's just one problem with the 90 percent "statistic" and it's a big one:

It's just not true.

In fact, it's not even close. The fact is, only 17 percent of guns found at Mexican crime scenes have been traced to the U.S....

Only 17% traced to the United States. I wonder how many of those 17% went South across the border illegally, and how many were legally sold by American companies to the Mexican military and various police forces?

So where are the guns used by the cartels coming from?

So, if not from the U.S., where do they come from? There are a variety of sources:

-- The Black Market. Mexico is a virtual arms bazaar, with fragmentation grenades from South Korea, AK-47s from China, and shoulder-fired rocket launchers from Spain, Israel and former Soviet bloc manufacturers.

-- Russian crime organizations. Interpol says Russian Mafia groups such as Poldolskaya and Moscow-based Solntsevskaya are actively trafficking drugs and arms in Mexico.

- South America. During the late 1990s, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) established a clandestine arms smuggling and drug trafficking partnership with the Tijuana cartel, according to the Federal Research Division report from the Library of Congress.

-- Asia. According to a 2006 Amnesty International Report, China has provided arms to countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Chinese assault weapons and Korean explosives have been recovered in Mexico.

-- The Mexican Army. More than 150,000 soldiers deserted in the last six years, according to Mexican Congressman Robert Badillo. Many took their weapons with them, including the standard issue M-16 assault rifle made in Belgium.

-- Guatemala. U.S. intelligence agencies say traffickers move immigrants, stolen cars, guns and drugs, including most of America's cocaine, along the porous Mexican-Guatemalan border. On March 27, La Hora, a Guatemalan newspaper, reported that police seized 500 grenades and a load of AK-47s on the border. Police say the cache was transported by a Mexican drug cartel operating out of Ixcan, a border town.

It is nice to see a major news network finally shining a light on the facts about the firearms in use by the Mexican Drug Gangs. Gun bloggers have been on the case for quite awhile, my first post in the issue was last June.

Read the whole article, it is well worth your while.

H/T to Fred, who sent me an email linking to this article and his comments earlier today.

Also commenting on this news article are:

FireHand with The Mexican Gun Lie is finally being talked about as such.

Syd has Your Nose Is Growing: The 90% Myth.

Sebastian chims in with Media Gets it Right.

Thirdpower notes that Fox News calls out the Mexico Gun Myth.

45superman headlines Mexico: the big lie.

David has a must read article, Do U.S. government arms exports play a part in arming Mexican cartels?, that I believe hit the press near the same time as the Fox News one did.

Uncle notes that the 90% Myth Makes News.

David notices that Yesterday it was a Priority. Today it's a Red Herring.

Rustmeister goes long with The US, Mexico, and Guns - Updated by Fox News, another good read you should check out.

So why the near year long media blitz on the whole "Americans are supplying guns to the Mexican Drug Gangs" meme? The media blitz over all the supposed American guns making their way into Mexican Gangbanger hands has been a well orchestrated publicity stunt. The purpose behind all this media coverage that plays fast and loose with the facts is to soften up the public and garner acceptance to more restrictive gun control laws that include an AWB and an end to private sales of firearms.

Note that this push to blame the violence and deaths South of our border on American guns started well before the elections. The ATF has been leading the charge on this misinformation campaign that remains in force through a leadership change. Maximum Mike got it started, Eric Holder continues the ruse.

More on Gunz in Mexico and an AWB

Since they ask, why not head over to Newsy.com and let them know what you think about this story.

I found this Newsy video while looking for an embeddable version of this FoxNews Video that covers some "Gun rights advocates' concerns about Attorney General Eric Holder's commitment to the Second Amendment". Watch the Foxnews vid all the way to the end. An assault weapons ban is still on the congressional table.

Thanks to David Reich for the heads up on the Foxnews vid.

If you do not want to register at Newsy.com to comment, you can comment on YouTube.

Notes From the Sidebar

I am catching up on some of my reading and thought I would share a few "gems from the sidebar".

Tam reminds us that there are No Unbreakable Magic Swords. Routine maintenance on your firearms is a necessity.

Say Uncle comments on Blackwater's latest class with d + picture of a fence, has a Million Gun March Update and notes More lies for Mexico. Oh... he also has Open can, receive bacon.

Fits covers the merits of an Affordable Fighting Knife... I'll be looking for one of these at the next gun show.

Xavier shares his Thoughts on Crimson Trace Laser Grips. As with pretty much anything Xavier takes the time to write, this is worth your time to read.

Joe comments on Shills and also has ...been wondering when they would suggest this.

Alan has images of an Steampunk iPhone Shirt.

Robb posts An interesting conundrum. That reminds me, I owe Robb an email.

Murdoc writes about the dangers of RFID chips in passports, RFID ID Beacons.

Steve asks Why have Ruger not introduced a tactical 10/22 rifle?, and has GSG-5 SD: The story behind the gun.

Rustmeister has images from a recent Global Warming Protest and also discusses how Reasoned Discourse = Comments Deleted.

AlanDP has a few words on the "Gunz in Mexico" issue, his title says it all: Unmitigated lies.

45Superman has the latest New Illinois insanity and also notes that Illinois Sheriffs' Association supports defensive firearm carry. It seems that Illinois Sheriffs' are a bit more stable than Illinois politicians. Kurt is also the author of the St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner, a very good read.

D. Martyn has a couple of good reads with A Gun in My Pocket and A Gun In My Hand. The Liberty Sphere is also the home of the daily Second Amendment News Roundup.

Peter points out that this is not time for a visit to Mexico in Mexico going from bad to worse. If you or one you love is planning on a South of the border trip for Spring Break, it might be a good idea to change those plans.

SailorCurt posts his long awaited SKS trigger job instructional video.

Robert shares his thought on campaign contributions in his column My Political Day.

The Old NFO has a must read in This is RIDICULOUS!!!, yes it is.

DirtCrashr post an eMail to my Idiots in DC; Boxer and Feinstein.

And last, but not least, Thirdpower has some Unorganized Militia Gear for sale. Check it out.

That is all I have time for this morning. I know I have left quite a few good posts off of this list, that is simply do to the fact that I flat out ran out of time.

Do You Remember This...

...image of members of the Mexican military on parade with Barrett .50BMG's?



Steve came across this image last September. In my post "More Gunz N Mexico", I stated:

How long do you think it will be before some of these are in the hands of the drug gangs? Remember this image when the ATF and a compliant news organization starts bemoaning the influx of .50 caliber weapons in the hands of the drug gangs.

Five months, that is how long it took for the cartels to get their hands on Barretts.

From Fox News:

Mexican Drug Cartels Armed to the Hilt, Threatening National Security

They were armed to the teeth. Their arsenal ranged from...

...seven Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifles

Any questions as to where they got these rifles? Not from Fox. The article goes on to describe "straw man" purchases and how easy it is to get contraband across the border into Mexico.

I agree that the Mexican Drug Cartels are a threat to our national security. Mexico is imploding, it does that every once in awhile. What I do not agree with is the assumption that the our liberties are responsible for Mexico's corruption.

We are being blitzed left, right and sideways by the media and the .gov with propaganda stating that the Mexican drug gangs are getting a majority of their arms from American gun shows and gun stores. This propaganda is patently false. Not only is it false, but it is easily provable that it is false.

From the Fox News article:

In November, along the border with Texas, Mexican authorities arrested drug cartel leader Jaime "el Hummer" Gonzalez Duran — one of the founders of "Los Zetas," a paramilitary organization of former Mexican soldiers who decided there was more money to be made in selling drugs than in serving in the Mexican military.

Ummm... is it not logical to assume that these "former" Mexican soldiers have close ties with current Mexican soldiers in a known corrupt Mexican military who might want to make a few dollars selling military weapons?

They were armed to the teeth. Their arsenal ranged from semi-automatic rifles to rocket-propelled grenades...

...150 grenades, 14 cartridges of dynamite, 98 fragmentation grenades, 67 bulletproof vests, seven Barrett .50-caliber sniper rifles and a Light Anti Tank (LAW) rocket.

LAWs rockets, RPGs, grenades, all items not available at your local gun show or neighborhood firearms dealer. These came from either the Mexican military or from .govs further South, as do a vast majority of the small arms in use by these gangs.

Here is another hint as to where these weapons are coming from:

Last week Gen. Ángeles Dahuajare announced that more than 17,000 soldiers had deserted in 2008.

"The Mexican Army is becoming a revolving door for the enforcement arm of the drug cartels; they simply pay better," Stewart said.

Yes, the armed and violent Mexican drug gangs are a threat to the United States. We, the free citizens of the United States, told our .gov that we knew of this threat and demanded that they build a fence. The .gov even passed a law to build such a fence. Where is our damn fence?

So, Mr. Attorney General Holder, before you pen policy to further restrict our liberties, why don't you see to it that our Southern border is secure. This security will reduce the drug traffic North and any illegal firearms traffic heading South. That should be easy for you, seeing as how "we the people" have already approved it.

More Gunz N Mexico

In the initial post Gunz N Mexico I referenced an article in the Dallas Morning News that quoted an ATF agent as stating...

"Right now, we know Texas is the No. 1 source of weapons smuggled into Mexico, with most of them coming from Houston and Dallas," Mr. Webb said.

Now the ATF is targeting California as a major supplier of guns to the Mexican drug gangs. But wait, California? Don't they have strict gun laws that would prevent the gangs from getting the guns in the first place? Heck, they don't even allow folks to buy guns at gun shows.

The ATF explains in the article Guns move south via Inland gangs:

The majority of guns moved through California come from other states, such as Arizona and Nevada, where laws are less restrictive than California's 30-day waiting period and assault rifle ban. The weapons can then be transported south, but local authorities believe a portion of them remain in Inland cities.

Okay, it is the other states fault that California gangs have guns. More of the same 'ol same 'ol. How about we start holding California responsible for exporting the extremely violent gangs that cut their teeth in Los Angeles to us? These gangs are now nation wide and guns, drugs, money and bodies travel North, South, East and West without hindrance. Maybe if California would put an end to the gangs, they would put an end to the majority of their drug/gun problems.

Earlier in the article the author stated:

ATF estimates that 95 percent of the weapons currently in Mexico are American made and a portion are moving south of the border through the Inland region.

That is a pretty easy estimate for the ATF to make. The Mexican military and police purchase their firearms from American manufacturers. So yes, since Mexican civilians are not allowed to own firearms for protection, at least 95% of the firearms in Mexico are held by the military and police and therefore are made in America. Some guns may even be smuggled into Mexico from California, so that part of the statement is also easy to make. But let us be honest here folks, it is no secret that corruption runs rampant in the Mexican military and throughout many of their police forces. Many, I would even say a majority, of the firearms in the hands of the drug cartels come directly from the Mexican military and police forces. Other guns cross Mexico's Southern border. This blaming Americans for the drug gang problems in Mexico is just plain lucridous and it has gotten beyond annoying.

The drug gangs on both sides of the border are evil, violent atrocities that should have never been allowed to grow into the cancer that they have become. But don't blame gun shows and Americans for their existence, and stop blaming us for the guns that they have accumulated.


Steve over at The Firearm Blog posted this image of members of the Mexican military on parade with Barrett .50BMG's. How long do you think it will be before some of these are in the hands of the drug gangs? Remember this image when the ATF and a compliant news organization starts bemoaning the influx of .50 caliber weapons in the hands of the drug gangs.

Gunz N Mexico

I am late on getting to this, I know, but I was too pissed to post when I first read this propaganda piece article in the Dallas Morning News.

U.S., Mexico launch unprecedented effort to disrupt cross-border weapons smuggling

By David McLemore and Laurence Iliff

HOUSTON – Tons of heroin and cocaine move north across the Southwestern border. And millions of dollars and truckloads of weapons move south – feeding the escalating levels of violence that have turned parts of Mexico into war zones and spread as far as North Texas.

Haven't "we the people" been demanding secure borders? Have we not forced Congress to approve the building of a fence between Mexico and the United States? You would think the rest of the article should be about the lack of a secure border and the .govs dragging it's feet on building our fence. Nope, "...millions of dollars and truckloads of weapons move south" gives a hint as to the essence of this "report".

At least 80 percent of all of the weapons used by drug traffickers in Mexico to kill one another as well as police and soldiers come from the U.S., Mexican officials say. They've repeatedly asked the U.S. government for more help in stopping the flow of weapons from Texas and other border states into Mexico.

Okay, instead of cussing and banging my keyboard around, I'll try to use logic here. Why would the Mexican Drug Cartels want U.S. firearms when they have easy access to the firearms used by the Mexican police and military? Report after report from south of the border mentions fully automatic firearms in use by the gangs. Select fire weapons are not being sold over the table at gun shows, gun shops or yard sales. As a matter of fact, I would go so far as to submit that the majority of black market full auto firearms in the United States came from south of the border.

Now comes the part where I start to see red:

On Monday, U.S. and Mexican customs investigation officials unveiled a cooperative effort called Armas Cruzadas to disrupt cross-border weapons smuggling through the sharing of databases and better monitoring of illicit sales at guns shops and guns shows.

And on Tuesday, the U.S. House authorized spending $1.6 billion over the next three years to help Mexico and other countries counter growing drug violence, including $74 million for the Justice Department to stem the flow of guns south. Funding, however, will have to come separately.

So, we are giving representatives from a corrupt government access to data on U.S. citizens and gun sales. This is the same .gov that depends upon money being sent back to Mexico by illegal aliens here in the United States to boost it's economy? The same .gov that has opposed the building of our fence and outright called us racist for wanting the fence in the first place? That .gov now has access to data on U.S. citizens?

On top of that we are going to give $1,600,000,000 to Mexico and other south of the border countries? NO, no, no, no, no, no.

Spend that $1.6 billion on expediting our fence.

Congress, secure the borders. Do your jobs, do what is mandated by the Constitution and see to the security of these United States.

Dewey Webb, special agent-in-charge of the Houston office of the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said the new operation will help provide firmer data on how many weapons are being bought legally or otherwise and moved across the border.

"Right now, we know Texas is the No. 1 source of weapons smuggled into Mexico, with most of them coming from Houston and Dallas," Mr. Webb said. They're bought "by 'straw purchasers' who act as buyers for the cartels."

Well Dewey, if you "know" all of this, why have you not arrested these straw purchasers? You do know that making a straw purchase is against the law don't you?

Oh wait... you did arrest one guy about 5 years ago. Great job!

One of the ATF's biggest cases in Dallas involved a security guard whom agents documented buying 152 firearms, including 78 Romanian-made assault rifles, at a Mesquite gun store over four months in 2003.

Agents determined that Adan Rodriguez was a paid straw purchaser for members of a Mexican cartel. One of the pistols he bought in Dallas was used in the cartel gunfight near Reynosa, Mexico, in which two federal police officers were shot. Mr. Rodriguez was convicted on federal gun charges in 2004 and is serving a 70-year sentence.

The fact that he is serving a 70 year sentence is a good job.

And then there is more on allowing Mexican law enforcement access to our data:

The new measures will also give Mexican law enforcement officials greater access to the eTrace computer database in the U.S., allowing them to use the serial numbers to trace weapons used in Mexican crimes to U.S. gun dealers.

Does no one in our government question the intelligence of giving agents from another country access to our data?

There is a paragraph in the piece that I am not sure about the data:

Nearly half of the 14,111 firearms recovered and traced in Texas came from Houston and Dallas, according to a 2007 ATF report. Houston was No. 1, with 3,820, and Dallas close behind at 3,358.

I assume this is data on trace data on firearms found in Texas, which has absolutely nothing to do with guns being used in Mexico. The fact that nearly half of anything in Texas comes from Houston and Dallas/Ft Worth makes sense as nearly have the people living in Texas live in these areas. The 14,111 number is just a large number thrown in to make folks go "ohhhh".

This article is nothing but a propaganda piece. It's intent is to further the gun control agenda by getting people to accept these half truths and misinformation. This story hit all the hot buttons. Gun shows, straw purchases, buying multiple firearms in a short period of time, and they even pulled out the evil FNH 5.7 mm pistol and called it "Particularly alarming".

Maybe the DMN does not have an agenda. It is possible that David McLemore is not an anti gun reporter using his soap box to spew his drivel. Yep, it's possible, but I doubt it.

Stories like this will result in calls for legislation that closes the imaginary "Gun Show Loophole", limits firearm purchases to 1 a month or so, and bans firearms based on caliber.

A question for the DMN. How about doing a story on the hundreds of unresolved cases of Americans kidnapped just south of the Texas border? Or maybe a story on the number of illegals who are violent predatory criminals that increase the crime rate in our cities? Those are stories your readers deserve to see published.

Also commenting:

Fits with Um...Did They FORGET About the Drug And PEOPLE Smuggling?

David with Following the Pesos

And others who I will add when I can grab the links.

I have a couple fat pork chops on the grill, gotta get.