According to a Government Accountability Office report, a large proportion of the firearms fueling Mexican drug violence originated in the U.S. According to the report, more than 20,000, about 87 percent, of firearms seized by Mexican authorities and traced over the past 5 years originated in the U.S.

The Brady Center reached many of the same conclusions in the report, Exporting Gun Violence: How Our Weak Gun Laws Arm Criminals in Mexico and America.

We urge U.S. leaders to strengthen American gun laws to make it harder for Mexican criminals to arm themselves with guns from the U.S. The same weak gun laws that are enabling the supply of Mexican criminals are supplying criminals in the U.S. as well.

» Click here to read the GAO report
» Click here to read the Brady Center report

POSITION:  The Brady Campaign supports stronger gun laws that will reduce illegal gun trafficking in America and across our borders to Mexico.

PROBLEM: The Mexican gun war is being fueled by American guns, which are being trafficked into Mexico because of weak American gun laws.  The same laws that allow gun trafficking into Mexico have long allowed trafficking of guns to American criminals.  

THREAT:  Weak gun laws allow unlimited numbers of military-style assault weapons and other guns to be bought from corrupt or reckless American gun dealers and at gun shows.  The result is that citizens in both America and Mexico are caught in the crossfire and are dying.  

URGENCY:  Escalation of violence in America and Mexico will continue causing death and injuries unless American gun laws are strengthened.  

SOLUTION:  To save lives and protect our families and communities from gun violence, we must extend Brady background checks to all gun show sales to close the gun show loophole; strengthen the legal authority of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to crack down on corrupt gun dealers; pass an effective ban on military-style assault weapons; stop large-volume gun sales that supply traffickers; and repeal the Tiahrt Amendment.

GET ACTIVE:  You can do something right now to help.  Contact your Representative and Senators to urge them to support the closing the gun show loophole.  The Senate bill is S. 843.  The House bill is H.R. 2324.

» Click here to urge your Senators to cosponsor the bill
» Click here to urge your Representative to cosponsor the bill