Image, contras supported with drugs for guns during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. CIA brought guns to sell here in the US and bought guns to take to the Contras.
So why am I writing this today? It looks like our president is about to declare victory and go on to his next war. I believe it will be against the cartels or against Cuba. I don’t know enough about Cuba to know if they have the capability to hit the United States hard enough.
I am not even sure why Trump would do that unless he wants to start rounding up Cubans to send them back. But our president, like the people who voted for him, is deranged. Or maybe he wants some prime beach property for a casino?
I have been saying it for years, much longer than I have had this blog. Want to stop the cartels, stop Americans from purchasing the products that they sell. Not only do we give them the market, but we are also the sellers of the guns that go with them, making them much more dangerous than they need to be.
Mexico’s leader suggested Washington should focus on other steps: Containing the voracious American appetite for illicit drugs, and combating illegal arms trafficking.
“If the flow of illegal weapons from the United States into Mexico were stopped, these groups wouldn’t have access to this type of high-powered weaponry to carry out their criminal activities,” President Claudia Sheinabum said at her daily news conference, citing a statistic from the U.S. Department of Justice that 75% of guns used by criminal groups in Mexico were smuggled from the U.S.
All the way to South America, guns made in the USA or sold here make it there by various means.
Primary Sources of Weapons
- The United States (via Mexico and direct): A “southward flow” of U.S. firearms is increasing, with weapons often smuggled through Mexico via established links between Mexican cartels (Sinaloa, Jalisco New Generation) and Colombian groups. U.S.-made guns are often purchased legally by straw buyers and trafficked directly to Colombia by sea.
- Central America: This region is a major source for older, Cold War-era weapons, with significant shipments originating from Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
- State Military and Police Stockpiles: Corrupt members of the Colombian security forces are significant suppliers, selling or stealing military-grade weaponry (rifles, grenades) from storage facilities. Weapons from the Venezuelan armed forces have also been diverted into Colombia.
Methods of Acquisition and Trafficking
- Guns-for-Cocaine Barter: Mexican cartels often trade high-powered weapons directly for cocaine shipments from Colombian groups.
- “Small Trickle” Trafficking: Rather than massive, single shipments, many weapons are smuggled in small quantities (ones, twos, or by the dozen) to avoid detection.
- Disassembly and Concealment: Weapons are often disassembled in the US, with parts hidden inside household appliances or machinery to bypass customs scanners before being reassembled in Colombia.
- Maritime and Land Routes: Traffickers use “go-fast” speedboats to move weapons across the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, and land routes through the porous, forested borders with Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama.
Commonly Seized Weapon Types
Criminal groups in Colombia favor military-grade equipment, including:
- Assault Rifles: AK-47s, M-16s, and Galil rifles (the latter being produced in Colombia, often stolen from local forces).
- Handguns: FN Five-seveN (often referred to as “cop-killers”), Beretta, and Sig-Sauer.
- Heavy Weaponry: Machine guns, mortars, and, in some cases, ground-to-air rocket launchers.
As of 2025, Colombian police reported a 19% increase in the seizure of American-made arms compared to the previous year, highlighting the growing influence of the “iron river” of weapons from the north.
