Representative Introduces Bill to Tackle Cross-Border Arms Trafficking

Washington — A legislator from New York, Rep. Dan Goldman, plans to introduce a bill aimed at enhancing border security by addressing the trafficking of firearms and ammunition from the United States into Mexico. The proposed legislation, known as the Disarming Cartels Act, seeks to strengthen collaboration among federal immigration agencies and other partners to disrupt transnational criminal groups involved in the export of weapons across the U.S.-Mexico border. Reps. Mike Thompson of California and Joaquin Castro of Texas are co-sponsors of the bill. Goldman emphasized the need to address the critical issue of firearms flowing into the hands of Mexican drug cartels, who pose a significant threat at the southern border. The proposed legislation aims to tackle crime by addressing the exportation of American-manufactured weapons across the border. Castro supported the bill, highlighting the importance of collaboration between federal agencies and Mexican partners to counter weapons trafficking. In addition to curbing firearms trafficking, the bill also intends to enhance border security and disrupt the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Thompson emphasized the connection between firearms purchased in the U.S. and their illegal transportation to Mexico, which bolsters cartels and contributes to the fentanyl epidemic. The proposed legislation would require Homeland Security Investigations to establish a system for sharing information on gun interdictions with federal partners. It would also expand efforts to collect and analyze data on guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico, enabling the tracking of U.S.-based weapons traffickers. This bill adds to previous legislative efforts to combat firearms smuggling across the U.S.-Mexico border. In September, a group of Democratic senators introduced a similar bill, while Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley has pushed for more information on the Biden administration's measures to address this issue. A recent investigation revealed the involvement of Americans in smuggling military-grade firearms to Mexican drug cartels. Recognizing the national security threat posed by the trafficking of U.S.-sourced guns into Mexico, the Government Accountability Office has stressed the importance of data and analysis in disrupting gun smuggling operations. While initiatives like Project Thor have been established to address this problem, the lack of funding for such programs remains a challenge.