Mexico says it has detected US military weapons entering the Latin American country, which blames firearms trafficking from its northern neighbour for fuelling drug cartel-related violence, AFP reports.
Mexico's defence ministry has warned Washington about the influx of weapons that are supposedly "for the exclusive use of the US military," Foreign Minister Alicia Barcena told a news conference."It is very urgent to conduct an investigation," she added, without giving further details. Arms smuggling was one of the issues discussed by both sides in Washington on Friday during the visit by Barcena and other senior Mexican officials, she said.
Mexico has long pointed the finger at the United States and its weak gun laws for the flow to its cartels, which in turn are often financed by selling drugs to American consumers.
The Mexican government has filed two lawsuits in U.S. courts against the firearms industry.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar told reporters that reducing the flow of guns from the United States to Mexico is a priority for President Joe Biden.
"We know that 70 percent of the weapons that cause violence here in Mexico come from the United States," he said.
According to authorities in the Latin American country, more than half a million weapons are imported into Mexico from the United States annually. /BGNES
