Current:Home > FinanceMexico demands investigation into US military-grade weapons being used by drug cartels-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Mexico demands investigation into US military-grade weapons being used by drug cartels
View Date:2024-12-23 23:34:24
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico wants an urgent investigation into how U.S. military-grade weapons are increasingly being found in the hands of Mexican drug cartels, Mexico’s top diplomat said Monday.
Mexico’s army is finding belt-fed machine guns, rocket launchers and grenades that are not sold for civilian use in the United States.
“The (Mexican) Defense Department has warned the United States about weapons entering Mexico that are for the exclusive use of the U.S. army,” Foreign Relations Secretary Alicia Bárcena said. “It is very urgent that an investigation into this be carried out.”
The Mexican army said in June that it had seized 221 fully automatic machine guns, 56 grenade launchers and a dozen rocket launchers from drug cartels since late 2018.
The military-grade U.S. weaponry — which cartels have bragged about and openly displayed on social media — poses a special challenge for Mexico’s army, which along with police and the National Guard already faces cartels operating homemade armored vehicles and bomb-dropping drones.
In June, Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval said five rocket launchers had been found in the possession of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, four were seized from the rival Sinaloa cartel and three more seized from other cartels. Sandoval did not specifically say the weapons were from U.S. military stockpiles.
Ken Salazar, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, confirmed Monday that Mexican officials had brought up the issue at meetings last week, and while he had not been aware of the problem, he pledged the United States would look into it.
“We are going to look into it, we are committed to working with Sedena (Mexico’s Defense Department) to see what’s going on,” Salazar said.
There are a number of possible routes by which the weapons may have made their way to Mexico. Central America was awash with U.S. weaponry during the conflicts of the 1980s, military grade weapons sometimes go missing from stocks in the United States, and some manufacturers who sell arms to the U.S. military might also have sold some abroad or on the black market.
While the Mexican army and marines still have superior firepower, the drug cartels’ weaponry often now outclasses other branches of Mexican law enforcement.
Mexico has long had a problem with semi-automatic rifles that are permitted for civilian use in the United States being smuggled into Mexico, where only low-caliber firearms are permitted and strictly regulated. Mexico has launched legal actions against U.S. arms manufacturers and gun shops, arguing that they contribute to violence.
Also Monday, describing talks last week with U.S. officials, Bárcena said the United States is planning to announce sanctions against airlines and transportation companies that move migrants to South and Central America and through Mexico to the U.S. border.
“The United States said it was going to impose sanctions on South American and Central American companies that are transporting migrants irregularly, and they want us to do the same,” Bárcena said. “The (Mexican) Interior Department is going to call on the bus and airline companies, but we don’t want them (the United States) to act unilaterally.”
Mexico, meanwhile, wants changes made to the U.S. CBP One mobile application for asylum-seekers to make appointments.
The app is designed only to work on telephones in northern Mexico, but Bárcena said Mexico has asked that coverage be extended to allow appointments to be made from further south, to avoid a pileup of migrants rushing to Mexico’s northern border cities.
veryGood! (367)
Related
- Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's Son Moses Martin Reveals His Singing Talents at Concert
- Céline Dion's dazzling Olympics performance renders Kelly Clarkson speechless
- Vigils planned across the nation for Sonya Massey, Black woman shot in face by police
- Firefighters helped by cooler weather battle blaze that has scorched area size of Los Angeles
- How Ben Affleck Really Feels About His and Jennifer Lopez’s Movie Gigli Today
- Shop the Best Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2024 Home Deals: Le Creuset, Parachute, Viking & More
- Scuba divers rescued after 36 hours thanks to beacon spotted 15 miles off Texas coast
- Grimes' Mom Accuses Elon Musk of Withholding Couple's 3 Kids From Visiting Dying Relative
- Maine elections chief who drew Trump’s ire narrates House tabulations in livestream
- US women's 4x100 free relay wins silver at Paris Olympics
Ranking
- Mike Tyson emerges as heavyweight champ among product pitchmen before Jake Paul fight
- Watch this soldier's shocked grandparents scream with joy over his unexpected visit
- Yankees land dynamic Jazz Chisholm Jr. in trade with Miami Marlins
- Why Olympian Jordan Chiles Almost Quit Gymnastics
- Watch: Military dad's emotional return after a year away
- Meet 'Bob the Cap Catcher': Speedo-clad man saves the day at Olympic swimming event
- Equestrian scandal leaves niche sport flat-footed in addressing it at Olympics
- Vigils planned across the nation for Sonya Massey, Black woman shot in face by police
Recommendation
-
Army veteran reunites with his K9 companion, who served with him in Afghanistan
-
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Mixtapes
-
Serena Williams' Husband Alexis Ohanian Aces Role as Her Personal Umbrella Holder
-
Peyton Manning, Kelly Clarkson should have been benched as opening ceremony co-hosts
-
Bears fire offensive coordinator Shane Waldron amid stretch of 23 drives without a TD
-
Danielle Collins is retiring from tennis after this year, but she's soaking up Olympics
-
Paris Olympics opening ceremony: Everything you didn't see on NBC's broadcast
-
Thousands battle Western wildfires as smoke puts millions under air quality alerts