90% of Mexican Drug War Guns Originate in United States

(Sept. 7) -- A bloody, drug-fueled war is being waged just across the border in Mexico and a report out Tuesday finds that 90 percent of the guns traced from Mexican crime scenes since 2006 have originated in the United States. The report was released by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group of more than 500 mayors from American towns and cities, and was based primarily on data from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The new findings reinforce previous estimates while contradicting claims made last year by several news organizations, including Fox News and the Examiner, that only 17 percent of the guns found at Mexican crime scenes were traced back to the U.S. Those organizations also based their findings on ATF statistics.

Weapons seized to members of the gang Los Zeta.

Luis Acosta, AFP / Getty Images

A new report released by the Mayors Against Illegal Guns contradicts previous reports that said only 17 percent of the guns found at Mexican crime scenes were traced back to the U.S.

According to the new report, from 2006 to 2009, 40 percent of the U.S.-originated guns that ended up in Mexico were sold by dealers in Texas. Another third of the American guns were from Arizona, California and New Mexico. Since 2006, more than 23,000 people have been killed in the drug wars, according to the report.

No matter whose count you believe, when it comes to American arms and drug gangs, it's hard to imagine the problem going away anytime soon. The ATF, which regulates guns in the United States, has not had a director since 2006. Only about 10 percent of the country's licensed gun dealers are audited by the ATF each year, according to The Washington Post. Even then, the ATF can't fine those dealers who sell guns illegally -- it can only revoke the dealer's license.

In May, Mexican President Felipe Calderon exhorted Congress to reinstate an assault rifle ban that expired in 2004 to help stem the flow of illegal guns across the border. But, though President Barack Obama promised to renew the ban while he was campaigning in 2008, he has recently gotten quiet on the subject, Mother Jones reports.