A recent investigation estimates that between 72,819 and 258,101 firearms are trafficked from the United States to Mexico each year, with a midpoint estimate placing the figure at approximately 135,000 for 2022. This significant flow of illegal weapons has been linked to increasing violence in Mexico and rising organized crime activities in the U.S., despite over $3 billion spent since 2008 to stabilize Mexico and curb this issue.
Researchers employed a method akin to capture-recapture analysis and utilized extensive firearms tracing data to establish these figures. Notably, over 75% of firearms recovered in Mexico and traced back to U.S. sellers originate from licensed dealers, with around 6% of these weapons reported as legally imported. This troubling nexus between legal purchases and illicit trafficking underscores the urgent need for stronger regulatory measures to combat the escalating crisis.
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