México state to join bilateral firearms tracing initiative

July 12, 2024

Twenty-two Mexican states already use the eTrace system, which helps authorities identify leads in the trafficking of firearms between the U.S. and Mexico. (@FiscaliaEdomex/X)

In an ongoing effort to contain arms trafficking from the United States, México state is receiving training to utilize the eTrace platform that tracks the purchase and use of firearms used in violent crimes.

Twenty-two Mexican states and the federal Attorney General’s Office (FGR) have already been accredited to use the eTrace system which was created by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to electronically exchange traced firearm data via a secure internet-based environment.

Last year alone, the United States opened 655 cases of arms trafficking to Mexico using eTrace. (@FiscaliaEdomex/X)

U.S. and Mexican officials met Wednesday to discuss progress on the joint initiative that has already resulted in 473 arrests and the removal of some 10,000 firearms from Mexico’s streets. Last year alone, the United States opened 655 cases of arms trafficking to Mexico.

The ATF and the U.S. Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) are also training state authorities to identify arms and ammunition.

“The reason for this collaboration is to improve the best practices for identifying weapons so our forensic experts have all the necessary information [to trace them accurately], said INL Director Leah Pease.

According to the ATF, the eTrace system “is key in generating investigative leads to help solve violent crimes. … [to] quickly identify potential gun traffickers and suspects in criminal investigations. eTrace is used to trace crime guns from their original manufacturer or importer, through the wholesale/retail distribution chain, to the first person who bought them.”

During a June 27 conference at the United Nations, Mexico’s Public Security Secretary Rosa Icela Rodríguez urged the U.N. to take steps to curtail the arms trafficking that has contributed to rising violence in Mexico.

The subject of arms trafficking was also addressed by U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar during U.S. Independence Day celebrations in Mexico City. “While celebrating 248 years of our democracy, our commitment is to continue the important work of guaranteeing security for our two peoples.”

Back in December, Salazar had acknowledged that arms trafficking to Mexico was a serious problem, with 70% of firearms used in violent crimes in Mexico coming from the United States.

Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry estimates that 200,000 firearms enter national territory every year, of which Mexico intercepts only about 5%.

The 22 Mexican states already using eTrace are Aguascalientes, Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Colima, Durango, Guanajuato, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, Puebla, Querétaro, Sinaloa, Sonora, Tabasco, Tamaulipas, Yucatán and Zacatecas.

With reports from El Sol de Toluca, Excelsior and Milenio