Border Weapons Trade

The alleged leader of a firearms trafficking network believed to be smuggling guns into Mexico -- where police say they are used against law enforcement officers by members of Mexican drug cartels -- was arrested Thursday in Arizona, authorities said.

Victor Varela was arrested by the ATF as part of the agency's ongoing Project Gunrunner.

1 of 4 Victor Varela was arrested by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as part of the agency's ongoing Project Gunrunner, according to an ATF release. He was in the custody of the Maricopa County, Arizona, sheriff.

"Law enforcement officers disrupted a group of gun traffickers and recovered several weapons, including .50-caliber semiautomatic rifles and several handguns, allegedly intended to supply drug traffic organization members of the Juarez Cartel in Palomas, Mexico," the statement said.

In state charges, prosecutors allege Varela and his co-defendants bought a number of guns in Arizona intending to supply the Mexican cartel members. The group allegedly transported the illegally purchased guns to New Mexico, and then into Mexico.

A .50-caliber weapon is the largest that can legally be bought in the United States, and is illegal in Mexico. Authorities believe a .50-caliber weapon was used in recent months to kill Francisco Ledesma Salazar, a police commander in Juarez, Mexico. He is among five high-ranking Mexican police officials killed this year in what Mexico authorities describe as an escalating war between police and drug cartels.

Last week, 2,000 troops were sent to Juarez by the Mexican government in an effort to quell the violence there, which has claimed some 200 lives since January.

Guns are difficult to buy legally in Mexico, but can be obtained just north of the border at gun shows and gun shops. Project Gunrunner was launched as an effort to help Mexican police by cracking down on illegal smuggling of guns and ammunition, and has led to several arrests and seizures.

"This case was made one of our highest priorities because of the nature of the crime alleged to be committed by Varela," U.S. Marshal David Gonzales said in the ATF release.

Guns featured in a CNN Special Investigations Unit report last week, confiscated by Juarez police, are believed to have been smuggled into Mexico by Varela, according to an ATF spokesman.

Authorities said one recent discovery, in a storage locker in Yuma, Arizona, yielded 42 weapons and hundreds of rounds of .50-caliber bullets already belted to be fed into a machine gun-style weapon, as well as Fabrique Nationale pistols, semiautomatic handguns that fire a 5.7-by-28-millimeter round.

"What's interesting about this gun, why it's in high demand, is the nickname that it has in Mexico," said William Newell, ATF special agent in charge, about the Fabrique National pistol. "It's called 'mata policias,' or 'cop killer.'

Charging documents allege that Varela was attempting to buy a fully automatic M-60 machine gun for a drug cartel associate in Palomas, authorities said. "Additionally, a number of firearms recovered by Mexico law enforcement ... allegedly were trafficked by Varela's gun smuggling network," the ATF statement said.

U.S. authorities are sharing intelligence with their Mexican counterparts to assist in ongoing investigations, the ATF said

Heres a Video
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2316395/7277822

By El Polo on Apr 5, 2008, 07:23 in Off Topic.

El Polo says on Apr 5, 2008, 07:26:

☻

eywed says on Apr 8, 2008, 19:39:

Nice Video, Point of intrest to me is how this crack down is a result of violance in Mexico and the Mexican Govt asking for help. It would be nice if the help went both ways. They complain we act. We complain they do nothing.

Ay Hombe!!!!!

Robert Jorge says on Apr 17, 2008, 13:32:

The FN pistols they are talking about that shoot the 5.7 x 28 are pretty state of the art. The round, 5.7 x 28 was actually developed for a carbine style shoulder fired weapon. But FN made a handgun chambered in the same round. What makes the pistol version so politically incorrect, is the 5.7 round will penetrate body armor and even body armor trauma plates. (As will any rifle round) It wasn't made for this purpose necessarily. But obviously law enforcement wouldn't be excited about facing a criminal with a handgun that shoots a round that penetrates their vests.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

Robert Jorge says on Apr 17, 2008, 13:34:

By the way, the US Secret Service carry the FN carbines now instead of the UZIs.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

Robert Jorge says on Apr 17, 2008, 13:48:

Here is a picture of the carbine.
Image and video hosting by TinyPic
Here is a picture of the pistol.

Here is a picture of the FN 5.7 x 28 ammo.

What is silly about the whole thing, is the ammunition is extemely expensive and hard to find. The pistols are no longer imported into the US. The whole issue is just anti-gun hype.
Also in the article, they talked about finding 50 caliber ammunition belted already for a machine gun. The most economical way to buy 50 cal ammo is to buy military surplus still in belts ... it costs a lot to "de-belt" them. The ammo most likely wasn't going to be put into a machine gun - because there aren't any available for sale in the US. (with a few extreme exceptions closely regulated by the BATF.)

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

El Polo says on Apr 17, 2008, 14:35:

foking RJ stikes again, you starting to worry me jajaja

El Polo says on Apr 17, 2008, 14:35:

RJ just added you to my friend list jaja :)