Thread: U.S. arms fuel Juárez battle

U.S. arms fuel Juárez battle (6:10 a.m.)
By Daniel Borunda / For the Sun-News
Article Launched: 04/09/2008 06:17:37 AM MDT



EL PASO — A weapons arsenal, including two high-powered .50-caliber sniper rifles, seized by the Mexican army earlier this year in Juárez, was part of the illegal flow of firearms from the U.S. that authorities are attempting to halt, an ATF spokesman said Tuesday.

"We are trying to ease the violence. ... The violence (in Mexico) is with weapons coming from this country," said Special Agent Tom Crowley, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire arms and Explosives.

The latest case comes amid what a senior U.S. counter-drug official described as a battle for control of Juárez between the Si naloa drug cartel and Juárez drug cartel, which has allied itself with a faction of the Gulf cartel and the Zetas, an assassins group founded by Mexican army deserters.

ATF officials said that Mexican soldiers seized 25 rifles, including the .50-caliber rifles, plus five pistols, body armor and ammo on Feb. 13 at safe house in the Pradera Dorada area of Juárez.

The ATF traced some of the weapons to "straw purchases," or firearms bought by one person for someone else, in Arizona.

Last week, ATF agents in Arizona arrested Victor Varela, the alleged leader of the gun-trafficking ring


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suspected of supplying weapons -- as well as attempting to buy an automatic M-60 machine gun -- to the Juárez cartel in Palomas, Mexico, the ATF stated.
The Arizona Republic reported that the .50-caliber rifles were bought in Maricopa County and that the ring's "moneyman has since been

Crowley said the ATF has added investigators along the border and there is improved cooperation by U.S. and Mexican authorities.

Firearms in Mexico, which has strict gun-control laws, can sell for four to six times the price they were bought for in the United States, ATF agents said. The .50-caliber rifles, which are capable of blasting through bulletproof vehicles, sold for $14,000 to $16,000.

Last month, ATF agents in El Paso arrested three men suspected of trying to smuggle a .50-caliber rifle and 23 other weapons into Mexico.


Daniel Borunda reports for the El Paso Times, a member of the Texas-New Mexico Newspapers Partnership, and may be reached at dborunda@elpasotimes.com; 546-6102.

http://www.lcsun-news.com/news/ci_8861967

Have noticed similar articles recently--all aimed at getting Congress to pass the $1.4 billion Merida Initiative which is to give Mexico aid, training and equipment to fight drug trafficking?

Some of President Calderon's prior remarks about the aid package:

However, Calderón appeared to reject any added conditions on a proposed $1.4 billion U.S. anti-drug aid package that had been negotiated with Washington, saying, "I cannot accept any submission or subordination."

"I need that technology," Calderón said. "Give it to me. And give it to me without conditions."

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007 ... xico_N.htm

"The liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or any controlling private power."
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Hey G.W. Pelosi, Harry Reid ... wheres the Fence or are you getting kick backs for the arms going across to the Cartels and they give our country the drugs....

Makes the people want to see where you are getting your money from