BajaNomad

Mexico to step up vehicle searches at US border

bajabound2005 - 9-24-2008 at 07:48 AM

Mexico to step up vehicle searches at US border
By E. EDUARDO CASTILLO – 8 hours ago (AP)

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's government plans to search 10 percent of all vehicles entering the country from the United States in an effort to curb arms smuggling, the attorney general said Tuesday.

Most illegal weapons in Mexico come from the United States, according to officials in both countries. Many end up in the hands of powerful drug cartels who supply most of the cocaine entering the United States from South America.

Attorney General Eduardo Medina said the stepped up vehicle searches would start soon at Mexican custom checkpoints, though he did not give an exact date.

He said an average of 230,000 vehicles across into Mexico from the U.S. each day. The number searched changes throughout the year, and varies with each crossing point.

"Soon, at least 10 percent of vehicles crossing from north to south will be subjected to obligatory searches at customs," Medina said.

Michael Sullivan, the acting director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said last month that investigators have traced 90 to 95 percent of weapons seized in Mexico to the United States.

Mexico seized more than 10,763 guns between December 2006 and August 2008, most of them assault rifles, according to a recent report from the Attorney General's Office. More than 1,400 grenades also were confiscated.

"What's clear, as we have often told many lawmakers in the U.S. Congress, is that the Second Amendment was not designed to arm criminal groups overseas, as is in fact occurring," Medina said, referring to the amendment in the U.S. Constitution on the right to bear arms.

In general, only law-enforcement officers or military personnel can legally possess guns in Mexico.

The stepped up vehicle searches come as Mexico's government struggles to reverse a surge in violent crime, much of it tied to the drug trade. Mexican police often complain of being outgunned by drug cartels, whose fierce attacks have prompted terrified officers to walk off the job.

DianaT - 9-24-2008 at 08:02 AM

Read that one this morning. Wonder what they mean by "soon". Just can't imagine 10 percent of the cars crossing at the San Ysidro crossing being searched.

Can you just imagine the mess that would be? Yikes.

Diane

Woooosh - 9-24-2008 at 08:19 AM

Maybe they'll only check vehicles big enough to smuggle-in significant quantitites of contraband (if that's what they are looking for).

Having all the southbound lanes open would be a nice change too. The "run for the border" will be a crawl.

elgatoloco - 9-24-2008 at 08:30 AM

This will keep guns from getting in the hands of drug cartels in Mexico like a wall will keep people from getting into the US.

IMHO. :smug:

Bajajorge - 9-24-2008 at 09:53 AM

Ohmagawd,"PROFILING"!!!!! Quick get the ACLU:barf: on the phone!!!!!
I can't believe that the Mexican government would think there are gringos with guns,:O much less bring them to Mexico.;)
"Don't need no stinkin badges" to search your stinkin gringo vehicle.

Barry A. - 9-24-2008 at 09:56 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by elgatoloco
This will keep guns from getting in the hands of drug cartels in Mexico like a wall will keep people from getting into the US.

IMHO. :smug:


-----apples and oranges.

Barry

elgatoloco - 9-24-2008 at 11:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Barry A.
Quote:
Originally posted by elgatoloco
This will keep guns from getting in the hands of drug cartels in Mexico like a wall will keep people from getting into the US.

IMHO. :smug:


-----apples and oranges.

Barry


True.

But both the apples and oranges are rotten ideas that only seek to make the general public think that the politicos are actually doing something about the problem when it is a 'cosmetic' fix for deep rooted issue. I still hold that checking 10% of the vehicles entering Mexico and building a wall will not have the impact desired, unfortunately.

bacquito - 9-24-2008 at 11:35 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by elgatoloco
This will keep guns from getting in the hands of drug cartels in Mexico like a wall will keep people from getting into the US.

IMHO. :smug:


Well said!!

fishbuck - 9-24-2008 at 12:35 PM

Good luck trying to get across the border over the fence at TJ.
I don't know what they are building on the north side but it looks like an interstate with all they grading.
The chances of crossing there are zero.
Ofcourse if you think I'm wrong I'd love to watch you try it.

Woooosh - 9-24-2008 at 12:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fishbuck
Good luck trying to get across the border over the fence at TJ.
I don't know what they are building on the north side but it looks like an interstate with all they grading.
The chances of crossing there are zero.
Ofcourse if you think I'm wrong I'd love to watch you try it.


Hard to miss that much dirt. That huge excavation is actually the infilling of Smugglers Gulch with million sof cubic feet of dirt. Why don't they put another vehicle border crossing over there by the end of the cuota while they are flattening everything?