Four Facts about Gun Legislation and Cartel Violence in Mexico

The U.S. Senate is debating several proposals to prevent gun violence, including universal background checks, stiffer penalties for gun trafficking, a ban on assault weapons, and a ban on high-capacity magazines.

In addition to helping to prevent gun violence in the United States, these reforms will help stop illegal gun trafficking to Mexico and will keep guns out of the hands of drug cartels.

Here are four facts about illegal gun trafficking to Mexico:

1. Mexican drug cartels get most of their guns from the United States. Seventy percent of guns recovered in Mexico and submitted for tracing between 2007 and 2011 came from the United States. The reasons are obvious: it is almost impossible to legally purchase a gun in Mexico, but there are more than 8,000 gun dealers in the U.S. border states. Mexican drug cartels can easily acquire guns in the United States through straw purchasers or at gun shows