And it’s not just Mexico that suffers - most guns found at American crime scenes come from ten lax states, predominantly in the south. (via theeconomist)

vruz: why aren’t the mexicans building a fence, then?

(via vruz)

You understand that the statistic from Mexico is a bit misleading. Most guns recovered from crime scenes in Mexico do not have serial numbers and therefore cannot be traced. It isn’t that most guns were traced back to the US. Most guns were not traced. Only those that could be traced were traced back to the US. But that makes sense. Our manufacturers are in the minority of those that use traceable serial numbers. All guns manufactured in the US have traceable serial numbers. It is therefore extremely unlikely that most guns came from American dealers.

From FactCheck.org:

Given the lack of hard data from Mexico, we can’t calculate a precise figure for what portion of crime guns have been traced to the U.S. Based on the best evidence we can find so far, we conclude that the 90 percent claim made by the president and others in his administration lacks a basis in solid fact. But we also conclude that the number is at least double what Fox News has reported, based on its reporters’ mistaken interpretation of ATF testimony.

Whether the number is 90 percent, or 36 percent, or something else, there’s no dispute that thousands of guns are being illegalIy transported into Mexico by way of the United States each year.

Given that the US is home to some significant arms manufacturers and that the US is adjacent to Mexico, wouldn’t you expect the US to be a significant source for any illegal trade to Mexico? For certain varieties of illegal drugs, Mexico is a significant source to the US. The fact that we are neighbors makes us mutually likely to be the source of contraband within each others’ borders.