Grant to help county fight trafficking of guns

By Jose Luis Jiménez, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Saturday, February 6, 2010 at 1:40 a.m.

The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department will receive part of a $3.3 million federal grant aimed at stemming the flow of guns into Mexico, state officials said this week.

The money will pay three years’ salary of a detective dedicated to investigating arms suppliers and those responsible for trafficking the weapons into Mexico. Officials on both sides of the border say the majority of the guns are being used by drug cartels, who are battling each other for control of key smuggling routes and fighting the Mexican government for their survival.

The grant will also pay the salary of one investigator from each of the following agencies: the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol and the Imperial County Sheriff’s Department. Together, they will be called the Firearms Trafficking Task Force and will also work with agents of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

It is believed to be the first time that county and state law enforcement officers will play a key role in what has been an international issue considered the purview of the federal government. It also helps address one of the major complaints of law enforcement in Mexico: the ease with which high-powered weapons can be purchased in the United States.

California Emergency Management Agency Secretary Matthew Bettenhausen, whose agency secured the grant and distributed it, said helping Mexico will also benefit those who live along the border.

“This is a significant problem, and this is a significant investment by California and our federal partners to stop the flow of guns fueling the violence in Mexico,â€