How U.S. firearm policy militarizes Mexican cartels and drives border migration to escape gun violence
In May 2015, a military helicopter in western Mexico was brought down in a blaze of bullets and rocket-propelled grenades. The weapon that disabled the aircraft was a Browning .50-caliber machine gun. It was not stolen from a government armory or purchased on an international black market. It was legally bought in Oregon. This was not an isolated incident. In fact, thousands of firearms legally purchased from U.S. gun dealers, both independent and chain-operated, have ended up in the hands of Mexico’s most violent cartels. These weapons have been traced back to U.S. stores through confidential government data, leaks,...
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