Bill Would Ban Arms to Drug Cartels

Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, has authored a bill to stop the flow of illegal firearms to Mexico. Senate Bill 2225, crafted in concert with Attorney General Greg Abbott, would make the transportation or transfer of an illegally acquired weapon a third-degree felony. The punishment would increase if the acquisition (or transfer) is made for profit. According to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Texas leads the nation in arming Mexican drug cartels, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reports that nearly 8,000 guns sold in the U.S. were traced to Mexico in 2008 – more than double the number traced in 2007. "That's exactly what [the bill] is about," says Carona spokesman Steven Polunksy. Carona is "very strong" on protecting the rights of gun owners but says illegal gun-running is the "number one problem in ways we're contributing to violence in Mexico and along the Southern border, and in our cities, for that matter."