This year, Mexican services have intercepted a record amount of weapons and ammunition produced in Russia, the daily El Sol de Mexico reported. It was added that foreign weapons are smuggled to Mexico, where they end up in the hands of powerful drug cartels.
In the first eight months of 2024, Mexican security forces seized a total of over 14,500 firearms and ammunition magazines manufactured in Russia60 percent more than in the same period of the previous year – the newspaper reported, citing data from the state customs office and state prosecutors' offices.
Government Mexico estimates that 70 percent of weapons smuggled into the country still come from the United States. In August, he sued several U.S. manufacturers and distributors in Boston, alleging that their negligence and illegal trade practices led to bloodshed on the streets of Mexican cities.
“Purchasing and trading weapons in every part of the world is becoming easier.”
Although most of the weapons used by Mexican criminals were manufactured in USAthey also use weapons from Romania, Georgia, Italian, AustriaRussia and Brazil – reported “El Sol de Mexico”.
“Russia is the world's second largest arms exporter after the United States, and although Latin American countries stopped buying weapons from the Kremlin almost a decade ago, the power of Mexican cartels allows them to acquire arsenals from any source, anywhere in the world, and bring them to Mexico ” – said security analyst David Saucedo.
The Mexican expert pointed out that criminal organizations such as the Sinaloa cartel have interests in at least 100 countries around the world and have expanded their operations in Europe over the last five years. “The purchase and trade of weapons in every part of the world is becoming easier,” Saucedo said.
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