Mexico says 70% of guns used in crimes there are from U.S. New effort aims to curb trafficking

Mexico and the United States have come to an agreement aimed at cracking down on the flow of smuggled U.S. firearms into Mexico.

Mexico estimates that more than 70% of the guns used in crimes in the country were brought illicitly from the United States. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and previous Mexican administrations have long asked the United States to do more to prevent firearms smuggling.

“For the first time, the United States recognizes it must carry out operations to control illegal arms trafficking to Mexico,” Sheinbaum told reporters Monday.

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The agreement calls for deeper cooperation between the two countries in investigations and intelligence sharing, and also commits the United States to expanding its use of the firearms tracking technology eTrace to all 32 Mexican states.

Many of the guns smuggled into Mexico come from Arizona and are used for violence in the neighboring state of Sonora, says John Lindsay-Poland, the coordinator of the advocacy group Stop U.S. Arms to Mexico.

“It is critical to begin to get better information on that corridor and the networks of people that are facilitating that gun traffic,” Lindsay-Poland said.

The initiative was launched at the first meeting of a new security implementation group made up of officials from the United States and Mexico. That group was announced during a recent visit by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Mexico City, where he promised closer cooperation between the United States and Mexico on security issues.