Mexico and the US begin a collaborative effort to combat cross-border firearm trafficking
The U.S. State Department said on Saturday that the United States and Mexico have begun a new bilateral initiative to stop the flow of illegal firearms across their shared border.
The declaration was made at the first meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Security Implementation Group, which was established to strengthen coordinated efforts against arms smuggling and drug trafficking during Secretary Rubio’s trip to Mexico earlier this month.
Mexico will use U.S. tracing capabilities including eTrace and ballistic imaging technology in all 32 states as part of the new endeavor, and both nations will strengthen intelligence sharing, cooperative investigations, and prosecutions, the department said.
The effort also urges increased U.S. inspections, more prosecutions, and deeper bilateral investigations to curb southbound weapons smuggling, which is a major contributor to cartel violence in Mexico.
“To prohibit weapons that feed cartels, the United States and Mexico are for the first time deploying enhanced investigations, real-time information sharing, and coordinated inspections. “Historic collaboration to safeguard both countries,” Ronald Johnson, the US ambassador to Mexico, posted on social media.
