Border gun dealers fight reports

By MACKENZIE WEINGER | 10/25/11 6:14 PM EDT

Gun store owners in states bordering Mexico argued in court Tuesday against the new federal requirement demanding they report anyone who buys more than two high-powered rifles within five days, The Associated Press reported.

The rule specifically targets dealers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas and demands owners send information on multiple long guns sales to the government, the AP wrote. The measure was enacted in the wake of the controversial gun-running investigation, known as Operation Fast and Furious, which reportedly allowed 1,400 guns to go to Mexican drug cartels.

The Justice Department told the court the requirement helps stop guns from falling into the hands of Mexican gangs, the AP wrote. The store owners, however, say the federal government cannot legally force them to report this information.

The AP reported that U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer particularly questioned whether the rule was the best way to combat the problem of Mexican drug cartels acquiring guns.

In July, the National Rifle Association vowed to sue the Obama administration over the new reporting rule. At the time, NRA Legislative Director Chris Cox told POLITICO: “They don’t have the statutory authority to do it, and we’ll file a lawsuit as soon as the first letters are sentâ€