A little project - sources for Mexican drug cartel guns other than the US

[derby378]

I know that some guns are being smuggled out of the US into Mexico, but we need a more balanced approach to where the drug cartels are getting their weaponry from. So here's a couple of news articles to start with:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/arms-find-triggers-new-fears-of-rebel-uprising-in-mexico-1383259.html

REPORTS that a seven-ton arms haul uncovered in Guatemala this week was bound for Mexico's Zapatista guerrillas have heightened fears of a new armed uprising a week before Mexico's closest presidential election.

Guatemala's Interior Minister, Danilo Parinelo, said yesterday that 'most, if not all' of the weapons were to have been smuggled through the Lacandon jungle to the Zapatista National Liberation Army (EZLN) in Mexico's south- eastern state of Chiapas. They had come from Cuba via Nicaragua.

The arms included 700 AK-47 assault rifles, RPG-7 anti-tank grenade-launchers, 800 hand-grenades and 200lb of explosives. They were found in the garage of a businessman, Jorge Palancares, thought to be Mexican, near Guatemala City and would have been transported by Guatemala's own guerrilla group, Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG), he said.

That was back in 1994, mind you, but this is hot off the press:

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=23558&ArticleId=328724

Five suspected Zetas were arrested on Feb. 8 in a joint operation conducted by the PNC and the army on a highway in Alta Verapaz province, near the city of Coban, located some 220 kilometers (137 miles) north of the capital.

The men, who entered Guatemala from Mexico in a farm truck, were armed with five AK-47 assault rifles, automatic pistols and a large quantity of ammunition, the security forces said.

On Nov. 30, 17 people were killed in a gun battle between drug traffickers in Huehuetenango province, on the border with Mexico.

Colom blamed the killings on the Gulf cartel.

More to come? Stay tuned...

[derby378]

1. From IANSA (a global gun-control organization)

There are an estimated 1.6 million guns in Central America, of which about 500,000 are legally registered.

Many of these weapons are remainders from military conflicts in the region in the 1970s and 80s, most notably in El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.(Emphasis mine)

After these conflicts ceased thousands of military weapons ended up on the illicit market in those nations. From there they have begun to flow into countries with less history of widespread armed violence, such as Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama.

Top small arms exporters to the region include the USA, Spain, Belgium, Thailand, Germany, Canada, Venezuela and the Philippines.

http://www.iansa.org/regions/camerica/camerica.htm

[derby378]

2. From LA HORA (Guatemala)

Police intercepted smugglers heading from Guatemala into Mexico with 500 grenades and five AK rifles, most likely the full-auto variety: (In Spanish)

http://www.lahora.com.gt/notas.php?key=46487&fch=2009-03-24