US, Mexico Launch Mission Firewall to Curb Arms Trafficking

The United States and Mexico launched “Mission Firewall” at the inaugural Mexico–U.S. Security Implementation Group meeting to disrupt the southward flow of illicit firearms and deepen binational security cooperation. The agreement expands U.S. tracing tools (eTrace) and ballistic-identification technology to all 32 Mexican states and commits both countries to real-time information sharing, deeper joint investigations, prosecutions, and intelligence cooperation. The U.S. pledged to increase southbound and joint inspections at ports of entry to stop weapons bought in American cities—often by “straw buyers”—from falling into the hands of cartels. Mexican officials say more than 70% of guns used in crimes in Mexico originate in the U.S., with many trafficked from Arizona into Sonora, fueling cartel violence including weapons capable of downing helicopters. U.S. and Mexican officials, including Ambassador Ronald Johnson, called the initiative “historic,” and said it follows recent diplomacy, including a visit by Senator Marco Rubio, and prior Mexican legal pressure on U.S. gun manufacturers.