Washington, D.C. — A new column from the Center for American Progress published on Friday looks at the connection between the increased production and sale of guns in the United States and the rise of gun violence in Mexico.
The flow of deadly weapons from the United States—which has relatively loose gun laws—into Mexico, where gun laws are far stricter, is likely a factor in the recent upticks in gun homicides and other violent crimes. Since 2004, the manufacturing of guns, particularly the rifles and high-caliber pistols favored by drug cartels, rose sharply after decades of steady declines. That same year marked the expiration of the federal assault weapons ban in the United States. In the decade following, gun homicide rates drastically climbed in Mexico.
The United States accounts for 70 percent of firearms recovered from crime scenes in Mexico. Eugenio Weigend, associate director for Gun Violence Prevention at CAP and co-author of Friday’s column, said: “The United States can do more to address this problem. The same laws that would reduce gun violence in America would reduce gun trafficking to Mexico. It is time to pass and implement those laws.”
Click here to read the column: “Beyond Our Borders but Within Our Control: How U.S. Gun Policy Influences Violence in Mexico” by Eugenio Weigend Vargas and Rukmani Bhatia
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Adam Peck at [email protected] or 202-741-6363.