Image from the GC AdvocateDrug Cartels Buy Guns Deep Inside U.S. -- Washington Times
EL PASO, Texas | U.S. authorities say that as attention increases on gun running between Mexico and the United States along the border, the illegal trade is emanating from deeper in the United States.
"We're finding guns aren't just coming from [the] Southwest border," said William McMahon, deputy assistant director for field operations at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). "We're seeing hot spots farther north and east, too."
In 2007, guns recovered in Mexico were traced back to states including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Washington state, he said. Cartels are using long-established drug-smuggling routes that extend deep into the United States to secure and move weapons south, Mr. McMahon said.
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More News On Mexico's Drug Cartel War
US-Mexico Relationship Hits Some Bumps -- Los Angeles Times
U.S. steps up Mexican drug gang fight -- UPI
Mexican drug war spills over border to rival Iraq -- Sydney Morning Herald
Suspected drug cartel hitman arrested in Mexico -- AFP
Mexico Arrests Suspect in Attack on U.S. Consulate -- Latin American Herald Tribune
Southern exposure -- Houston Chronicle
U.S. State Department: A warning of violence in Mexico -- Philly.com
Drug crimes of little concern in the resort areas of Mexico -- Miami Herald
Supply, Demand, and the Mexican Drug War -- GC Advocate
Kidnapped by the Cartels -- Washington Post opinion