Guns for Mexico

I am just not bright enough to know how to post a comment to Mr Mill City's blog.  But, still, I want to comment on an item in yesterday's collection of items.

They have this comment

Shouldn't it be easier to get a gun an Mexico?

which included a link to an item in The New York Times.

The question of the source of guns for the Mexican drug cartels has been an issue of discussion for several weeks.  The idea of a circular trade—drugs to the US and guns to Mexico—has some logical appeal, except the drugs only pass through Mexico, so some cash is having to move in this trade cycle.  The problem is, in my mind, why are they buying expensive weapons in the US and then smuggling them back into Mexico?  Why not buy them from places where they are cheaper and then smuggle them in to Mexico.  Are we to understand it is easier to smuggle an AK-47—its not like it is a US Army model—across the border from the US than it is to ship it in from some former Soviet (or current Russian) client state?

Here is a report from Fox News, saving it isn't so. For those of you who distrust Fox News, how about The Los Angeles Times.  Their story says weapons are coming up from Central America.

I hope this current discussion of the arms race in Mexico is about showing the Mexican Government our heart is in the right place and not an end run on the Second Amendment.  That kind of move would cause some of us to become a little distrustful of the current Administration.

But, for The New York Times, the conclusion continues to be that they are not doing a good job of reporting the news.  Where is the "in depth" reporting that would have turned up the facts and avoided the errors?

Regards  —  Cliff