Mexican Military Adding Guns to Arsenal After Seizure

Posted: Mar 29, 2012 7:30 PM
Updated: Mar 29, 2012 7:06 PM

The Mexican military is adding more guns to its arsenal tonight. They were able to recover guns and 1,000 pounds of ammunition from two cartel members who started firing on them.

It's very possible these guns could have come from the United States. They're AK47s. You can get one of these for less than the price of an iPad.

One shot can kill. The weapon uses a bigger bullet that delivers more impact when it hits an object.

"When we take our long weapons to go do drug raids I usually grab this one. I've known about it for many years and know how to use it," says Weslaco police investigator Javier Garcia.

Garcia found this gun in the '80s at a drug raid. It's called a Valmet. He's sure it belonged to the cartels operating in the Valley at the time. His department now owns it.

"We file forfeiture and utilize them for our use," says Garcia.

Garcia says the cartels are always trying to smuggle weapons like the Valmet and the AK47.

"Definitely a lot of damage and death, kill people, which is why the cartels really like these exactly," says Garcia.

The Mexican military says these AK47s and thousand of rounds of ammo were found on two people leaving a building in Nuevo Laredo two days ago. They say the men started firing on soldiers as soon as they saw them.

"This is a very, very deadly weapon. That's why the demand is so high," says Garcia.

Garcia says it's possible the guns in Nuevo Laredo came from the U.S. side of the border. You can get them for as little $250 apiece.

"It will take him five to 10 minutes. You could conceivably smuggle dozens of these piece at a time," says Garcia.

It's the cheap, deadly way to fuel the cartel's war with their enemies.

Garcia told us the Mexican military keeps all the guns they seize from the cartels. He says they add it to their already powerful arseanl of weapons to fight the bad guys.

Mexican Military Adding Guns to Arsenal After Seizure | KRGV.com | CHANNEL 5 NEWS | Breaking News Breaking Stories