Mexican Drug Cartels Getting New Weapons From Central America Amid Mexico's Lawsuit Against Guns – Sinaloa Cartel Insider

Mexican drug cartels have found a new source for procuring their new weapons from Central America as Mexico continues its effort on its lawsuit against top U.S. gun manufacturers.

A Sinaloa Cartel insider said that cartels are increasingly sourcing their weapons from Central America, adding that recent attempts by the Mexican government to stop the illegal routing of firearms to the country from the U.S. are "somewhat" affecting his business and cartel's ability to arm themselves, according to a Business Insider report.

The trafficker, known as El Guero, said that the government's actions are "slowing down our job." However, the Sinaloa Cartel insider said that they have not stopped at all.

The insider then said that they are finding new ways, such as the route from Central America.

El Guero said that it is now more common for sicarios or hitmen to use the Galil ACE, which is an Israeli rifle that is manufactured in Colombia.

Sicarios were associated with using foreign-made weapons such as the AK-47 and M16.

El Guero said that the Galil is not the best one, but that it does the job. The weapon is also known as the official arms for Mexican and Colombian law enforcement.

The cartel member said that they still get requests for AK-47s.

Meanwhile, Galil is the only rifle in Mexico that is not officially restricted to use by the army, which means that it is not automatically illegal to own one.

Mexican Drug Cartels' Weapon Source

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2016 noted that 70 percent of guns seized in Mexico and traced by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives came from the U.S., from year 2009 to 2014.

The GAO noted that many guns are trafficked as different weapon parts that are put together once they are in Mexico, which made guns much more difficult to track, sometimes impossible, according to a Vox News report.

Groups such as the Jalisco Cartel and Sinaloa Cartel are arming themselves with military-grade weapons as shown in their propaganda videos.

A Washington Post report in 2020 noted that roughly 2.5 million illegal American guns have crossed the border in the past decade based on a Mexican government study.

Mexican officials are now pinning the blame on the U.S., saying it is America's failure to stop the flow of .50 caliber rifles across the border.

Mexico's Lawsuit Against Top U.S. Gun Manufacturers

Last August, Mexico filed a lawsuit claiming that the U.S. gun manufacturers undermined its strict gun laws by designing, marketing, and distributing military-style assault weapons in ways "they knew would arm drug cartels," drive up murder rates, as well as extortions, and kidnappings, according to a U.S. News report.

The companies argued that Mexico has failed to establish its harms were attributed to them and that a U.S. law protected gun makers from lawsuits over their product's misuse.

The companies were referring to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act.

Other defendants of the case include Beretta USA, Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Colt's Manufacturing Co., and Glock Inc.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

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