The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its federal partners unveiled the results of their intensified efforts to combat the trafficking of firearms from the United States into Mexico. By July, DHS, in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, significantly exceeded their southbound firearm seizures in 2023 compared to 2022, according to a Sept. 1 news release.
"Investigations to break down criminal networks have benefitted tremendously from increased interagency collaboration, both within DHS and with our federal partners," Special Agent in Charge Larrabee said in the release. "Keeping weapons and ammunition out of the hands of criminals is vital to keeping communities safe on both sides of the border. Our investigations bring criminals to justice here in the United States and provide law enforcement partners in Mexico support as they work to dismantle dangerous cartel networks."
These seizures are a direct result of operations led by DHS, known as Operation Without a Trace, and ATF's Operation Southbound, specifically designed to target the southbound and outbound trafficking of firearms along the U.S. southwest border, the release reported.
Particularly in Laredo, Texas, DHS reported seizing more than double the number of firearms in 2023 than in 2022, emphasizing the importance of interdicting southbound firearms to prevent their use by transnational criminal organizations, including in illicit activities like fentanyl production and trafficking, the release said.
During a recent roundtable discussion held in Laredo, key figures from various law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the ATF, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Assistant United States Attorney Michael Makens, underscored the critical role of intercepting southbound firearms in preventing their utilization by criminal cartels in illegal activities like the production and distribution of fentanyl, the release reported.
These collaborative investigations have significantly benefited from increased cooperation both within DHS and among its federal partners, reinforcing the importance of keeping weapons out of the hands of criminals to maintain community safety on both sides of the border, according to the release.
These efforts continue to bring criminals to justice within the U.S. and offer support to law enforcement counterparts in Mexico engaged in the dismantling of dangerous cartel networks, the release reported.
This roundtable discussion follows the Southbound Firearms Trafficking Coordination Meeting held June 14 at the White House, demonstrating a commitment to enhancing interagency collaboration across the federal landscape. It is the inaugural event in a series scheduled along the southwest border in the coming weeks, highlighting DHS's leading role in bolstering cooperation with federal partners, state and local law enforcement agencies, and the Mexican government to combat transnational criminal networks, the release said.
As the primary federal law enforcement agency tasked with investigating international smuggling operations and enforcing U.S. export laws, ICE HSI plays a pivotal role in preventing contraband from being illicitly transported across the southwest border into Mexico, according to the release.
