GAO Report Critiques US Efforts to Halt Illicit Arms Trafficking to Mexico Mike LaSusa - Insight Crime
go to original January 25, 2016

Mexico's purchases of US weapons are at a record high (CCTV America)

Amid ongoing concerns about gun violence in the United States and Mexico, a new report highlights several bureaucratic obstacles hampering US efforts to stem the flow of illicit arms to its southern neighbor.

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report (pdf) on January 11 that criticized a lack of effective collaboration between the two US agencies with primary responsibility for combating cross-border arms trafficking: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The GAO "identified persistent challenges in information sharing and some disagreement on the agencies' respective roles in investigations." In response to previous recommendations from the GAO in 2009, ATF and ICE attempted to improve cooperation by updating a memorandum of understanding between the organizations. But the new report says that no mechanism currently exists to monitor whether both agencies are complying with its provisions.

In addition, the GAO noted "there may also be some confusion in Mexico over ATF's and ICE's roles in combating firearms trafficking." According to the assessment, Mexican law enforcement agencies consider ATF "their lead US counterpart in investigating firearms trafficking." However, ATF is responsible for investigating violations of domestic US gun laws, whereas ICE has responsibility for investigating international trafficking operations.

The report also mentioned that corruption within Mexican law enforcement agencies has contributed to a reluctance to share information.

"ICE officials in the United States and along the US-Mexican border are concerned about sharing information with ICE officials based in Mexico, fearing that the information may unintentionally reach corrupt Mexican authorities and compromise their investigations," the GAO wrote.

The GAO also criticized the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) for using the number of gun seizures "with a nexus to Mexico" to assess the effectiveness of its anti-arms trafficking strategy, claiming this "does not adequately measure" whether the agency's efforts are working.

Read the rest at Insight Crime

Related: Will Obama Be Held Accountable for Fast and Furious? (CNSNews.com)

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