An "iron river" of guns flows from Texas to Mexico - with cartels as the most likely recipients.Photo byU.S. Department of Justice

Amidst all of the hand-wringing about the violence at the Texas-Mexican border one fact is often overlooked: the Mexican cartels are being armed with guns from Texas.

Although much U.S. news media coverage focuses on drugs and migrants being smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. - the southbound flow of guns and money being smuggled from Texas into Mexico does not receive as much coverage - but it does not make the consequences any less deadly.

This month, five people were arrested in Laredo, Hebbronville, and Falls City for trafficking more than 100 military-grade firearms to a drug cartel in Mexico. The high-powered firearms included FNH SCAR rifles, Barrett .50 caliber rifles, FNH M294S rifles, and M1919 rifles. One of those arrested was a former Army major. The weapons were meant for the Cartel del Noreste (CDN) in Nuevo Laredo.

Far from being a "one-off" this is a common occurrence at the Texas - Mexico border where drugs & migrants are smuggled north and cartel cash and illegal weapons and ammo are smuggled south.

The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) estimates that 70% of "crime guns" in Mexico come from the U.S. - and 43% of those are transferred to Mexican cartels after being stolen or bought in Texas.

Texas Military Department and Department of Public Safety joint operation along the Texas-Mexico border on the Rio Grande.Photo byTexas Military Department

Example: Before the Texas Rangers Special Operations Group reclaimed control of "Fronton Island" (also known as "Cartel Island") in October of 2023, this 173-acre "no man's land" in the middle of the Rio Grande was a hotbed of cartel smuggling operations - including gunrunning into Mexico.

It was not uncommon for Texas authorities to pursue smugglers onto the island only to find weapons left behind by gunrunners fleeing their grasp into Mexico.

Rifle tossed into the Rio Grande by gunrunners fleeing Texas authorities on Fronton Island aka "Cartel Island" (August 2023)Photo byTexas Military Department

Despite Texas' success in reclaiming that island from cartel control the "iron river" flowing from the Lone Star State to the Mexican cartels is uninterrupted.

Houston Gun Show at the George R. Brown Convention Center (March 2007)Photo byM&R Glasgow - Creative Commons 2.0 Generic/CC BY 2.0 DEED

What guns the cartels cannot steal in Texas can be bought by their straw purchasers at legal gun shows or from unknowing individual sellers.

Although the cartels are not known for being picky, The Dallas Morning News this month reported that they are now looking to "acquire as many high-powered rifles as possible for use in ongoing wars with rivals and Mexican security forces."

Cartels like the CJNG (New Generation Jalisco Cartel) often display firepower on social media to intimidate enemies and Mexican civilians.Photo byEl Huaso / Vanda Felbab-Brown via x.com (Twitter)

Of specific interest, the newspaper reports are "the civilian version of the belt-fed FN M249 SAW, which the U.S. military has used since the 1980s" and "the Barrett .50 caliber" rifle.

A 2023 raid of a human smuggling operation in the El Paso area also resulted in the seizure of a large number of weapons meant for cartels.Photo byOffice of Texas Governor Greg Abbott

A recent CBS News report revealed that "Mexican drug cartels have been smuggling a vast arsenal of military-grade weapons out of the U.S. with the help of American citizens, including belt-fed miniguns and grenade launchers."

All indications are the problem is not only NOT getting better - it is getting worse.

How concerned are you about Texas gun-running schemes that are arming the Mexican Cartels?

Share your opinion in the comments on this article!

For more stories like this "Follow Me" on the Newsbreak App and "Like" this article to stay updated on border issues regularly covered by Jack Beavers like these:

• Cartel Drones Dominate Texas Border
• Texas Border: "Cartels set the rules" Border Patrol Chief Says
• Texas-Biden Feud Sizzles Over Migrant Mob Storming Border
• Texas Border: March Madness for Law Enforcement

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