Latino Lawmakers Introduce Stop Arming Cartels Act

Latino lawmakers introduced legislation to prevent the sale and trafficking of military-grade weapons to Mexican cartels

Photo by maxx ❄ on Unsplash

Last week, Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), and Maxwell Frost (D-FL) introduced the Stop Arming Cartels Act to address the sale and trafficking of firearms from the United States to transnational criminal organizations around the world. The legislation builds on the bipartisan Safer Communities Act that became law on June 26, 2022.

The act prohibits the sale of .50 caliber rifles, regulates existing .50 caliber rifles, and applies the same reporting requirements for handguns to rifles. The act would also establish new avenues for the victims of gun violence to seek justice from manufacturers and dealers who violate U.S. laws. Access to weapons of war from the U.S. has given cartels unprecedented power over the drug trade and trade routes that are often disputed by other cartels that manifest into wars.

“When I speak to leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean, their number-one request is for Congress to stop American weapons of war from falling into the hands of the gangs that are destabilizing their countries,” said Castro. “Especially in Mexico, access to .50 caliber rifles has…