Pubdate: Tue, 21 Sep 2010 Source: El Paso Times (TX) Copyright: 2010 El Paso Times Contact: http://www.elpasotimes.com/townhall/ci_14227323 Website: http://www.elpasotimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/829 GUN-RUNNING: FEDS FIELD 7 TEAMS TO STOP SMUGGLING Guns are the standard business equipment for warring drug cartels, so cutting into the supply of weapons smuggled into Mexico from the United States would seem to be a good idea. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives has been making attempts to do this. ATF just announced results of a 100-day effort of the Gun Runner Impact Team (GRIT): 174 firearms trafficking-related criminal investigations; seizure of approximately 1,300 illegally trafficked firearms and 71,000 rounds of ammunition; and drugs and currency, according to the ATF website. Now ATF is setting up teams in seven states, with the goal of stopping guns from getting into Mexico and into the hands of cold-blooded killers. It seems a bit strange that El Paso is not on the list to receive one of the teams. And, strangely, New Mexico is not on the list. Hopefully that means that these are not huge gun-running areas, although that may be wishful thinking. Getting ATF teams will be, according to the ATF, Atlanta; Dallas; Brownsville, Texas; Las Vegas; Miami; Oklahoma City; and Sierra Vista, Ariz. Dennis Burke, United States Attorney for the District of Arizona, said, "We are fighting on a crucial front here today to reduce violence in our own communities, and to disrupt and dismantle the southbound supply of weapons to the cartels. "We will not be a gun locker for the cartels, who have made murder and mayhem their modus operandi. We will not tolerate violent criminals and others who illegally possess, purchase or sell firearms." Whether those brave words can be backed up with results and success remains to be seen. It's heartening to see the results produced by GRIT. If those can be replicated and multiplied, perhaps it will go at least a little way toward reducing violence in Mexico. After all, nothing else seems to be working. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt