Officials from Homeland Security, Justice, and ATF Visit Mexico to Increase Cooperation against Arms Trafficking

Mexico City | August 24, 2009

United States -- Mexico cooperation against arms trafficking continues to increase through the concerted efforts of both governments. On August 23, John Morton, Assistant Secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Department of Homeland Security, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bruce Swartz, and Kenneth Melson, Acting Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives began a three day visit to Mexico.

During their visit to Mexico, the U.S. officials will meet with Mexican law enforcement counterparts to discuss cooperative measures to further improve our ability to intercept weapons crossing the border and increase Mexico’s ability to identify those weapons seized in the commission of crimes. They will witness the destruction of weapons no longer needed in investigations, and conduct an historic visit to storage facilities where seized weapons are held.

Through closer cooperation with Mexican authorities and between agencies of the United States law enforcement community, we have already seen an increasing number of seizures of illicit weapons, as well as prosecutions of arms traffickers. We look forward to even more success as we improve our bi-national strategy for arms interdiction.