Statement of Brady Campaign President On GAO Report Of American Guns Trafficked To Mexican Criminals

Jun 18, 2009

Washington, DC – Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, issued the following statement on the report released today by the Government Accountability Office about the trafficking of American guns to Mexican criminals:

"It should be clear today that our weak gun laws pose not only a public safety crisis at home, but also a foreign policy crisis across our southern border.  It is past time for Congress and the President to close the gun show loophole and to give law enforcement the tools it needs to protect the safety of the American people.  The extremist gun lobby should no longer be permitted to dictate our nation's gun policy."

"I'd like to say I'm surprised by the GAO's findings about American guns fueling criminal violence in Mexico, but I'm not.  The Brady Center reached many of the same conclusions three months ago in our report, ' Exporting Gun Violence: How Our Weak Gun Laws Arm Criminals in Mexico and America.'
http://www.bradycampaign.org/xshare/pdf/reports/exporting-gun-violence.pdf

Key findings by the Government Accountability Office on the trafficking of
American guns to Mexican criminals:

• "While it is impossible to know how many firearms are illegally smuggled into Mexico in a given year, about 87 percent of firearms seized by Mexican authorities and traced in the last 5 years originated in the United States, according to data from Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)." (Executive Summary)

• "First, certain provisions of some federal firearms laws present challenges to U.S. efforts [to combat illicit sales of firearms in the United States], according to ATF officials. Specifically, officials identified key challenges related to (1) restrictions on collecting and reporting information on firearms purchases, (2) a lack of required background checks for private firearms sales, and (3) limitations on reporting requirements for multiple sales." (page 3)

• "Lack of required background checks for private firearms sales. Federal firearms law prohibits certain persons from possessing or receiving firearms. A 1993 amendment to the Gun Control Act (the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act) required background checks be completed for all nonlicensed persons seeking to obtain firearms from FFLs, subject to certain exceptions. These background checks provide an automated search of criminal and noncriminal records to determine a person’s eligibility to purchase a firearm. However, private sales of firearms from one individual to another, including private sales at gun shows, are not subject to the background checks requirement and, therefore, do not require the seller to determine whether the purchaser is a felon or other prohibited person, such as an illegal or unlawful alien. DOJ documents and ATF officials stated that, as a result, many firearms trafficked to Mexico may be purchased through these types of transactions by individuals who may want to avoid background checks and records of their firearms purchases." (page 27)

• "Gun shows. According to ATF officials, individuals can use straw purchasers as they would at gun shops to acquire guns from gun shops with booths at gun shows. In addition, individuals can also purchase guns at gun shows from other individuals making sales from their private collections. These private sales require no background checks of the purchaser and require no record be made or kept of the sale. ATF officials told us this prevents their knowing what percentage of the problem of arms trafficking to Mexico comes from these private sales at gun shows." (page 22)

• Two out of the "ten firearms types most frequently recovered in Mexico and traced for the Fiscal Years 2004 to 2008" are assault weapons: AK-type semiautomatic rifles and AR-15 type semiautomatic rifles.  (page 17)

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As the nation's largest, non-partisan, grassroots organization leading the fight to prevent gun violence, the Brady Campaign, with its dedicated network of Million Mom March Chapters, works to enact and enforce sensible gun laws, regulations and public policies. The Brady Campaign is devoted to creating an America free from gun violence, where all Americans are safe at home, at school, at work, and in our communities.

For continuing insight and comment on the gun issue, read Paul Helmke's blog at www.bradycampaign.org/blog/. Visit the Brady Campaign website at www.bradycampaign.org.