Border securityATF to require gun dealers to report multiple rifle sales

Published 31 December 2010

Mexico, reeling under the weight of the escalating armed conflict between the government and the drug cartels, is on the verge of becoming a failed, ungovernable state on the U.S. door-step; U.S. and Mexican experts say that 90 percent of the tens of thousands of the semi-automatic rifles in the arsenals of the cartels are smuggled from the United State; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has announced a new measure, requiring U.S. gun dealers to report multiple sales of rifles to authorities; Texas law enforcement authorities say that since the reporting requirements will only include the southwest border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California — guns will continue to flow into Mexico from other parts of the United States — and from other countries

A new proposal by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been announced and is going before the White House for approval.

The goal is to curb the violence across the border in Mexico by trying to keep automatic weapons from being purchased in the United States and taken southbound.

Laredo, Texas, Pro8News reports that some authorities say the feds have the wrong idea about what is really going on. Laredo authorities have managed to filter out and seize hundreds, yet its the hundreds and very likely thousands of other rifles still making it south of the border that have the feds taking action.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is calling their most recent proposal an emergency regulation, requiring U.S. gun dealers to report multiple sales of rifles to authorities.

Under the proposal, firearm dealers would be required to report each time they sell two or more semi automatic rifles within five consecutive business days.

Specifically, .22 caliber rifles with detachable ammunition magazines like AK 47’s or AR 15’s.

During an on-line Web cast, ATF’s acting director Ken Melson stated the proposal will help improve the situation across the border. “We took this step as a way to gain actionable law enforcement intelligence which we believe will help reduce criminal firearms trafficking along the south west border.”

The reporting requirement, though, does not include all U.S. dealers. It will only include the southwest border states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar, responsible for very large recent seizures of weapons in Laredo, says he can not discuss much about the cases but can say the weapons heading south were not purchased along the border.

“They were coming from different areas in the country.”

“I think it’s a bigger issue. I think there’s guns being smuggles from other countries.”

Cuellar does not believe the requirement will make a difference, but the federal government does have the opportunity to find a better way to battle the violence across the border.

“I think all the feds should meet with all the locals involved. I’m talking all the sheriffs along the border, the chief of police along the border and maybe we can come up with a compromised solution.”

ATF is still awaiting approval on the initiative but expects the white house to give the go-ahead in early January 2011.

Sheriff Cuellar says the United States should care about our neighboring country because we rely on Mexico so heavily for business and commerce, but there is a way to help battle the violence without violating our second amendment rights.

Pro8News spoke with some local gun shop owners. They did not want to go on camera, but some said they are fine with the proposal but also did not believe it would have any impact in violence across the border.