U.S AND MEXICO STRIKE AGREEMENT TO CURB ARMS TRAFFICKING. (PHOTO).

 US and Mexico strike agreement to curb arms trafficking

Mexico and the United States announced a new bilateral security agreement aimed at curbing the flow of illegal firearms into Mexican territory. Negotiated during Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Mexico in early September, the pact, unveiled Saturday, includes real-time information sharing, coordinated operations, and the use of advanced forensic technology to trace weapons.

President Claudia Sheinbaum highlighted that, for the first time, the U.S. will carry out operations on its own soil to prevent high-powered firearms from crossing the southern border—a longstanding demand from Mexico. “Normally, they ask Mexico to conduct operations to stop drugs from entering the United States. For the first time, the United States recognizes that it must carry out operations to control the illegal flow of weapons into Mexico,” she said. The president noted that roughly 75% of firearms seized in Mexico originate from the U.S., making the initiative, dubbed Mission Firewall: United Against Arms Trafficking, a critical step in reducing gun violence and weakening organized crime networks.

The program will expand U.S. inspections, conduct southbound operations, coordinate joint investigations and prosecutions, share information in real time, and utilize forensic tracing tools like eTrace and ballistic identification systems. The initiative follows the inaugural meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Security Implementation Group on Sept. 26 in McAllen, Texas, which aims to coordinate actions against narco-terrorism, fentanyl trafficking, firearms, and illicit fuel, while strengthening border security.

In addition to targeting firearms, both governments agreed to broaden cooperation in areas like cross-border illicit finance. A specialized team will coordinate asset seizures linked to criminal activity, address fuel theft, and improve interagency collaboration to disrupt the funding of criminal organizations.

Mission Firewall builds on past efforts, including the Mérida Initiative (2007–2021), which aimed to curb arms and money trafficking from the U.S. to Mexico but faced setbacks, notably the 2010 killing of U.S. Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. In 2021, the Bicentennial Framework for Security elevated arms trafficking as a priority alongside synthetic drugs and organized crime, paving the way for the 2025 launch of Mission Firewall, described as a new level of ambition and coordination between the two nations.