The U.S. has invested over $3 billion since 2008 to help stabilize Mexico and curb its surge in extreme violence. However, the U.S. gun industry and interest group lobbyists have hindered these efforts by advocating for lax regulation and enforcement.
Impact of Gun Trade on Violence
This approach has created mayhem south of the border, boosting:
- Illegal drug trade
- Organized crime
- Human migration at the border
A federal block on firearm trace data sharing, established by the 2003 Tiahrt Amendments, makes it difficult to track the illegal U.S.-Mexico firearms trade.
Research Methodology
To study this issue, researchers gathered records from various sources to create a database of firearms sold by licensed U.S. dealers that were then trafficked to Mexico. These businesses are licensed by the U.S. government to sell or manufacture firearms and ammunition in the United States. They include:
- Independent gun shops
- Chain stores (e.g., Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops)
- Pawnshops
- Online retailers (e.g., Guns.com, GunsAmerica)
- Wholesale distributors
- Manufacturers (e.g., Smith & Wesson, Ruger)
Data Collection
Researchers obtained two sets of data from Mexico’s Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA):
- Nearly 133,000 firearms seized by Mexican authorities from January 2010 until March 2023.
- Nearly 5,700 guns purchased directly from American police forces between 2019 and three years prior.
Combining these datasets with information leaked from Mexican government officials revealed that more than 24,000 guns purchased in the United States were later recovered in Mexico after hackers broke into government computers.
Court case files involving small arms trafficking across international borders also provided valuable information on more than 4,200 weapons involved in deals between buyers and sellers on both sides of a transaction.
Findings
However, the ATF was unable to understand who ultimately bought many of these firearms. After removing those records, researchers were left with just under 9,014 fully traced firearms back to specific sellers in the U.S.
The research team used several methods, including:
- Combining multiple datasets
- Analyzing almost 13,000 unique firearm IDs linked back to specific U.S. addresses
- Gathering other evidence such as court testimony and business licenses
Types of Firearms Traced
The types of firearms transported across borders can be understood by looking at their origins:
- More than half of all firearms traced back to American-made guns.
- Only about one in three originated from foreign countries like China or Russia.
This suggests that most traffickers are buying their weapons right here in the U.S.
Conclusion
In total, researchers found over 41,055 guns trafficked from the U.S. to Mexico between 2010 and 2022, with most of them coming from a dozen or so states, including:
- Texas
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Michigan
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wisconsin
The findings highlight the urgent need for stricter regulations and enforcement to combat the illegal firearms trade and its devastating impact on violence in Mexico.
I’m Mark W. Lamplugh Jr., a visionary Chief Executive Officer, Board Member, and best-selling Author with over 25 years of experience driving significant revenue growth and optimizing ROI across the healthcare, wellness, and media industries. Throughout my career, I’ve consistently transformed underperforming operations into thriving ventures by building top-tier marketing organizations, implementing data-driven strategies, and leading transformational change. My empathetic, collaborative, and adaptable leadership style has allowed me to cultivate inclusive cultures of innovation, develop and retain top talent, and forge strong partnerships that fuel organizational success.
Adept in executive leadership, strategic business planning, and brand and marketing strategy, I have a proven track record of boosting annual revenues—achieving up to $1.3B in oncology over three years and generating $360M in mental health initiatives. My approach combines strategic vision with hands-on execution, as evidenced by my success in launching innovative facilities, expanding services for addiction and mental health care, and enhancing organizational brand visibility. As author of “The AI Marketing Playbook,” I contribute thought leadership on the integration of artificial intelligence in marketing, a role that showcases my commitment to staying at the forefront of industry innovation.
I also bring my insights and expertise to a broad audience as the host of cable tv & global streaming of “Street Level Marketing Show,” while my writing has been featured in major publications such as Entrepreneur, Business.com, The Startup, and Kivo Daily. Whether I’m implementing targeted digital marketing campaigns that engage over a million individuals monthly or overseeing multi-million dollar budgets to maximize return on investment, I approach every challenge with a combination of strategic planning, creative problem-solving, and unwavering dedication. Above all, I am passionate about expanding access to high-quality addiction and mental health care through innovative solutions that drive both patient outcomes and organizational growth.
Mark serves on the board of One World for Life, National Fire Heritage Center, and the Institute for Responder Wellness.
Mark (https://marklamplugh.com) is one of the top marketing executives in the United States and has revolutionized how companies reach potential clients thru influence, SEO, social, PR, and traditional marketing. His expertise in Marketing, Social Media, Digital Marketing, and Public Relations has generated millions of dollars in revenue for several national companies. Mark documents many of his techniques in his book “Beginners Guide to Social & Digital Media.” and “Marketing Playbook for Social Media,” which was named the top 100 social media marketing books of all time by Book Authority. He’s also a professional advocate for the behavioral and mental health of firefighters and other first responders. Marks articles have been published in Better Marketing, Startup Magazine, Social Media Today, Kivo Daily, Biz Catalyst 360, Fire Engineering, Firehouse Magazine, and several others.
One of his companies, niches, are marketing products and services to the public safety industry and their employees, specifically mental & behavioral health services. He can be reached for comment at ceo@influencemediasolutions.com
23,000 #1 Connections, 40,000,000 US B2B Contacts and 300,000,000 B2b/B2C email contacts as well as 1,000,000+ monthly social media reach. https://marklamplugh.com
