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Firearms Smuggled into Mexico on the Rise due to Lack of US Border Personnel

4 years 10 months 4 days ago Friday, May 24 2019 May 24, 2019 May 24, 2019 5:36 PM May 24, 2019 in News - Local

WESALCO – More than a thousand automatic weapons were destroyed in Mexico on Thursday.

About 80% of the weapons dismantled were smuggled from the U.S.

Congressman Vicente Gonzalez explained asylum seekers are complicating matters for federal agents.

He admits checking southbound traffic now is very difficult with custom officers reassigned due to the immigration surge.

CHANNEL 5 NEWS reached out to ATF spokesperson Special Agent Nicole Strong.

She tells us in a statement gun smuggling is a fight the agency deals with every day.

In the statement, Strong says:

"ATF has dedicated firearms trafficking groups in the RGV that are solely focused on disrupting the flow of firearms going south. We do this through complex investigations and tracking illegally straw purchased firearms, as well as guns purchased in the gray market (other than licensed dealers). We also review trace data weekly through our Crime Gun Intel Center, which is shared with our southern offices."

Watch the video above for the full report.

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