Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) introduced the Stop Arming Cartels Act, legislation that attempts to limit firearms trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico. The bill was announced in a press release on Sept. 26, and said the bill is focused on curbing the firearms which fall into the hands of the drug cartels.
This piece of legislation aims to address weak gun laws that have enabled a rampant firearms trade, fueling violence and criminal activities across borders.
U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and six colleagues have introduced the Stop Arming Cartels Act to address the flow of firearms from the United States to Mexico, fueled by weak gun laws, said a press release from September. The legislation aims to curb violence, disrupt cartels smuggling migrants, and impede the illicit narcotics trade. A recent ATF study found that 70% of traced crime guns recovered in Mexico originated in the United States.
According to the press release, Durbin said, "At the hands of the NRA and the gun lobby, our country’s lax gun laws have created a deadly, vicious cycle of firearms trafficking that’s riddled with violence, illicit narcotics, and chaos. Our gun laws and gun industry practices fuel an iron river of firearms trafficking that supplies Mexican drug cartels and other criminal elements in the region, and it’s time to cut off the iron river at its source. By implementing stronger gun safety laws in America, we can disarm cartels and help prevent the violence, drug trafficking, and irregular migration associated with cartel power and violence at home and abroad. I urge my colleagues to support this critical piece of legislation."
The press release stated that the bill aims to prohibit the future non-governmental manufacture, importation, sale, transfer, or possession of .50 caliber rifles. Existing rifles would be regulated under the National Firearms Act, with a fee waiver and a 12-month grace period for registration. The proposal also includes creating an exception to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) to allow victims of gun violence to sue manufacturers and dealers engaged in prohibited firearm transactions. Additionally, according to the release, it suggests prohibiting the sale or transfer of firearms to individuals sanctioned under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, adding Kingpin Act designations to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), and requiring firearms dealers to report multiple rifle sales to state and local law enforcement agencies, similar to the reporting requirement for handguns.
The news release said the bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii).
