Reply #48: Anyone reminded of Yuri Orlov's last words to Agent Valentine?

[Euromutt]

In the movie Lord of War.

I do rub shoulders with some of the most vile, sadistic men calling themselves leaders today. But some of these men are the enemies of your enemies. And while the biggest arms dealer in the world is your boss--the President of the United States, who ships more merchandise in a day than I do in a year--sometimes it's embarrassing to have his fingerprints on the guns. Sometimes he needs a freelancer like me to supply forces he can't be seen supplying. So. You call me evil, but unfortunately for you, I'm a necessary evil.

An M16/M4 variant manufactured by Colt's, FNH-USA or Bushmaster, sold to the Mexican government (with oversight by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce), supplied to a state police force, and subsequently sold to the narcotraficantes by a corrupt state police armorer would presumably be "traced to the United States" as well, even though it never went through the U.S. private market.