As the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to hear an almost laughable lawsuit regarding whether Mexico can sue American gun manufacturers for the violence committed by cartels in their country, The Wall Street Journal’s(WSJ) Steve Fisher and Roque Ruiz decided to dig in and try to find out just what are the “hot” items cartels are shopping for among the American marketplace. Mexico, enabled by a brutally poor economy, weak government and notoriously corrupt officials in every bureaucratic capacity, has been engulfed in epic bloodshed between violent drug gangs for years.
If you have a subscription with WSJ, you can check out the full article on their website. If not, we’ve summarized it below.
Here are the top firearms coveted by Mexican cartels, as outlined by the WSJ:
The M134 Minigun: A six-barrel machine gun capable of firing 4,000 bullets per minute. Often used to protect high-profile drug leaders, it can destroy a small vehicle in moments and is reserved for extreme operations where overwhelming firepower is needed. It’s not a gun available to the U.S. civilian market.
The Barrett .50 Caliber: This armor-piercing weapon is effective against military gunships and armored vehicles. It’s assigned to mid-level cartel members who actively engage with federal forces, making it one of the deadliest weapons in cartel arsenals.
M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon): A lightweight machine gun capable of firing 850 rounds per minute. This prized weapon is used by top cartel leaders’ security details, symbolizing status and power among criminal ranks.
Colt Custom Pistols (“El Jefe” and “El Grito”): These engraved .38 Super pistols are a mark of status among cartel bosses. One such pistol, custom-made with gold and jewels, was seized from a Gulf Cartel leader, demonstrating the prestige associated with these collector items.
AK-47 (called the “Goat’s Horn” by cartels): Known for its simplicity, reliability (even when not properly cared for and beat around in rough conditions) and firepower, the AK-47 is the most common assault-style weapon among cartel foot soldiers. Its affordability and ease of use make it the go-to firearm for the rank and file.
Rocket Launchers: The M72 LAW antitank rocket launcher is used to target the Mexican military and destroy armored cartel vehicles. These powerful weapons are smuggled into Mexico for heavy combat situations.
Beretta .22 Pistol: Given to low-ranking cartel members, this cheap pistol is used in low-profile killings and extortion. New recruits, often including children, are frequently armed with these weapons.
While the Mexican government claims these firearms are fueling violence, American gunmakers maintain that they cannot be held liable for the actions of drug cartels and illegal arms smugglers arguing that legal, non-defective products are being misused downstream. The outcome of the case could have significant implications for both gun rights and the firearms industry in the U.S. If allowed to proceed, and quite possibly, even if it doesn’t, the U.S. should consider similar lawsuits for cartel violence allowed to carry over into the U.S., for the number of Mexican illegal immigrants who sneak across the border and the funds needed to care for them or more wisely return them home or for every fentanyl and drug death from drugs that originate in or are smuggled into the U.S. by Mexican cartels. But that would just make too much sense.
You’re kidding right?
This suit and the Mexican government isn’t a joke that is a joke.
“Beretta .22 Pistol”
And the “gun community” keeps telling me that the 22LR is a worthless defensive round. I remember when the “gun community” said the 9mm was a worthless caliber.
They said 45acp was the only correct choice.
Actually I think the 32 caliber series is the best choice.
btw
A Franklin Armory equipped semi auto in 22LR makes an outstanding low cost substitute for a real machine gun. And one also equipped with a suppressor, I think would makes a great assassin’s tool.
The low recoil would make it the best choice for drug cartel children in training.
Not the first rodeo for a Beretta .22!
https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/the-rimfire-report-mossads-deadly-legacy-with-beretta-model-71-44816464
The . 22LR is perfectly capable against an unarmed victim, where you have all afternoon to wait around for him to expire.
I’d want something with a lot more oomph if there’s someone shooting back at you. Something like a ported 45Super with 11 rounds and a spare 10 round for ” just in case.” Cuz’ anything worth killins’ worth overkillin’.
“I’d want something with a lot more oomph if there’s someone shooting back at you. “
Can’t disagree, but my household income was cut in half in the Spring of 2021. $500 for a 9mm, new ammunition supply, and range fees to learn to transition successfully, are non-trivial.
Yes, I have a good stock of tuna fish for meals. Gave away all the no longer needed catfood cans, also.
what no chainsaw bayonet?
The cartels have come up with some very inventive ways to kill people. I’m sure chainsaws have been used before.
Last I remember while it has been done machetes were preferred for such dismemberment for convenience and ease of transportation and cleaning as compared to the chainsaw. With that said yeah if you can imagine it those savages have done it in some fashion.
Speaking of dismemberment, this just happened…
The decapitated head of a mayor in Mexico was found atop his car just six days into his tenure, marking the second official to be murdered in Guerrero’s capital in less than a week.
The body of Alejandro Arcos, the 43-year-old mayor of the city of Chilpancingo, was found inside his pickup truck Sunday night while his head was propped on top of the vehicle.
It’s often harder to find a week where something didn’t happen to support my earlier statement when it comes to Mexico.
We can do our part to reduce crime in Mexico by importing more Mexicans to the US.
“We can do our part to reduce crime in Mexico by importing more Mexicans to the US.”
Finally, finally, someone with a common sense, workable solution.
Yes. Thanks for that alien program Kammie. Give then a cell phone and food stamps also.
Now, since the Liberals and the Left say these guns come from America. Please explain what gun stores are supplying the M134 miniguns to the drug cartels.
I’m sure there are credit card purchase records at the offending gun stores in Arizona.
Price. $57,550 in the open market year of 1978.
source: The Book “Arsenal of Democracy, american weapons available for Export”
see page 161.
Price of the M72 LAW Rocket launcher. Open market price in 1978 only $135. And very affordable for any middle-class law abiding american citizen.
Source same as above. Page 219.
Of course inflation does have an effect on increasing prices over the years.
I can’t imagine too many M134s in private hands outside of dealer samples.
And M72s would have the ATF’s “destructive device” tax added to the cost for every rocket.
Smoke-and-mirrors pseudo political theater.
The used launch tube of an M72 can be made ready to shoot Rockets again. Those used tubes can be purchased by anyone. Very cheap.
But the M134 is a different story. I think they are being stolen, right out of the mexican army weapons storage. Many of the cartel members are former military.
So when they join the cartels. They just take their guns with them.
You use to be able to get a used M72 launch tube real cheap. I’ve seen them in several army surplus stores. Used as a wall display. Very impressive.
There is a way to deal with both the Mexican Government and the drug cartels.
First issue would be closing the border and not allowing anything or anyone across going either direction without a very close inspection of freight, vehicles, luggage and clear identification of persons. Next would be a clear warning that anyone crossing anywhere but official ports of entry are subject to being shot on sight. Likely wouldn’t have to fire more than a few times to make it clear that use of deadly force authorized means just that. If it can be done on US Gov. installations in the US, than why not on our borders.
Next is cut off all funds going to Mexico. Including wire transfers and sending money home by migrants. Make it a full on Federal Felony with serious penalties to hire undocumented migrants.
Might just be time to treat Mexico as the hostile/adversarial country it has become. Mexico has allowed the cartels to run rampant while enjoying the cash they bribe officials with and pour into local economies.
Of course such actions won’t happen because none fit the agenda of our own corrupt or spineless/inept politicians.
Obviously American citizens are fueling these cartels with heavy machine guns. It’s our relaxed gun laws and all…
But seriously, most of those guns can only be sourced back to the U.S. government itself. Either intentionally supplied to the cartels, or negligently supplied through no-chain-of-custody arms deals/gifts to places like Ukraine. And that same government tell us we can’t be trusted with small arms.
Exactly. None of these are coming from the local gun stores. This is a BS article by a has-been newspaper. You really think some drug lord, who can order a plane full of real Ak47s or leftover US hardware from Afghanistan at any time, is plotting how to make a straw purchase of a Barrett 50 cal from the LGS in Dallas?
Fedgov/DOD has supplied a metricbuttload of weapons and equipment to the Mexican military for many decades. Utterly corrupt and incompetent goobers.
they are good people they just can’t be trusted
remember the alamo
it’s not the drug dealers it’s the drug users
supply and demand
why does america have a drug problem. is it because life in the usa is so dismal one must use drugs to escape reality?
Freedom🇺🇸🥰Xax
Life in the USA is too good. Soft times breed soft people.
Hope is on the horizon. The fascist left are creating hard times.
Something just occured to me regarding the M134 minigun which fires 4,000 rounds per minute. Assuming that bulk 7.62 x 51mm NATO ammunition is $0.60 per cartridge, it costs $2,400.00 per minute in ammunition to run that machine gun!
Of course you can scale up from there. Run it for 5 minutes and the ammunition alone will cost $12,000 !!!!!
I suspect that Afghanistan is now selling many of the machine guns and assault rifles that Biden Harris gave to them when they pulled out.
I suspect that your suspicion has a lot of merit.
Class action against mexico for, insert any number of reasons here ________________ , open to all legal citizens of the USA.
When we win we send the Marines to collect .
^tiredofbs.
not marines, citizen militias.
a little better for the ambiance.
my local gun store ran out of SAWs and LAWs a couple years ago.
I sleep like a baby at night, knowing that our Democrat Porous Southern Border is keeps all undesirables out of the USA.
Time for the US to file a Multitrillion dollar lawsuit on Mexico for the illegals and drug issues. Just tie it in to whatever they claim from US manufacturers plus oh 30% for legal.
So they win 5 million they end up paying us 7 and a half mil in response
Comments are closed.