Dragunov
04-14-2009, 03:04 AM
April 13, 2009 - 8:54 PM
By Antonio Baranda, Reforma Agency
Mexico DF-During the administration of Mexican President Felipe Calderon, the agencies in charge of fighting organized crime have seized 35,943 firearms from the drug cartels, or a yearly average of 15,400 weapons.
This latest figure is five times larger that the yearly average reached during the presidency of Vicente Fox whose agencies seized 2,500 weapons yearly between 2002 and 2006.
The official report "Mexico-U.S. Arms Trafficking 2009" states that between Dec. 1, 2006 and March 26, 2009, the Attorney General's Office (PGR), the Federal Police, The Mexican Army and the Mexican Navy also seized 4,772,517 rounds of ammunition and 2,804 grenades.
"During President Calderon's government, there has been an intense effort to cut the capacity to generate violence for the groups in organized crime," according to the document, which was presented during U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's visit to Mexico.
The states of Michoacan, Tamaulipas, Sinaloa, Sonora, Baja California and Chihuahua are where the most long rifles were seized during Calderon's first 28 months in office. The government uses joint taskforces between the army, the local police and the federal police in these areas to combat the cartels.
According to the report, one of every two weapons seized were long guns, with the majority of them being assault rifles such as the AK-47 or the AR-15, of which 19,801 were seized.
As far as ammunition, the states with the most seizures were Tamaulipas, Baja California, Michoacan, Sonora, Sinaloa and Chihuahua; in regards to grenades, the states were Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Chiapas, Sinaloa and Nuevo Leon.
During the current presidency, the drug cartel that has been damaged the most is the Gulf-Zeta's cartel, noted in the report for their use of special weapons with high versatility, reach, penetration and rate of fire.
From this organization, the government has also seized anti-tank rockets, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, fragmentation grenades, Barrett rifles, and also "next generation" weapons such as the FN Herstal Five-Seven.
The report states that the Arellano Felix cartel came in second place in regards to conventional and special firearms seizures.
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/articles/seized_96896___article.html/weapons_report.html
By Antonio Baranda, Reforma Agency
Mexico DF-During the administration of Mexican President Felipe Calderon, the agencies in charge of fighting organized crime have seized 35,943 firearms from the drug cartels, or a yearly average of 15,400 weapons.
This latest figure is five times larger that the yearly average reached during the presidency of Vicente Fox whose agencies seized 2,500 weapons yearly between 2002 and 2006.
The official report "Mexico-U.S. Arms Trafficking 2009" states that between Dec. 1, 2006 and March 26, 2009, the Attorney General's Office (PGR), the Federal Police, The Mexican Army and the Mexican Navy also seized 4,772,517 rounds of ammunition and 2,804 grenades.
"During President Calderon's government, there has been an intense effort to cut the capacity to generate violence for the groups in organized crime," according to the document, which was presented during U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano's visit to Mexico.
The states of Michoacan, Tamaulipas, Sinaloa, Sonora, Baja California and Chihuahua are where the most long rifles were seized during Calderon's first 28 months in office. The government uses joint taskforces between the army, the local police and the federal police in these areas to combat the cartels.
According to the report, one of every two weapons seized were long guns, with the majority of them being assault rifles such as the AK-47 or the AR-15, of which 19,801 were seized.
As far as ammunition, the states with the most seizures were Tamaulipas, Baja California, Michoacan, Sonora, Sinaloa and Chihuahua; in regards to grenades, the states were Tamaulipas, Michoacan, Chiapas, Sinaloa and Nuevo Leon.
During the current presidency, the drug cartel that has been damaged the most is the Gulf-Zeta's cartel, noted in the report for their use of special weapons with high versatility, reach, penetration and rate of fire.
From this organization, the government has also seized anti-tank rockets, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, fragmentation grenades, Barrett rifles, and also "next generation" weapons such as the FN Herstal Five-Seven.
The report states that the Arellano Felix cartel came in second place in regards to conventional and special firearms seizures.
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/articles/seized_96896___article.html/weapons_report.html