Smuggled Guns From U.S Are Common in Mexico - electric toothbrush discount

By ALAN RIDING. JAN.
1977 this is a digital version of an article from The Times Print Archive, before it starts online in 1996.
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Mexico City, January. 22—
A Mexican cabinet minister always removes a pistol from his belt and ties it to the driver as he enters his limousine.
Another senior official avoided the traditional embrace of Mexicans by carrying guns.
A governor was very proud of his silver pistol, saying he felt undressed without it.
Today, the country's possession and possession of guns is considered so normal that officials are surprised by reports that the United States suddenly smuggled weapons into Mexico.
"Nothing special happened," an official said . ".
"There may be a slight increase in the number of weapons provided to drug traffickers, but there has been an influx of illegal weapons from the United States.
Every Mexican has a gun, almost all from the United States.
"You can go to the border to buy guns, just like you buy any other contraband," a Mexican lawyer explained with a smile . ".
"You have your smugglers buy you a hair dryer, a set of stereo sounds, a Colt 45 automatic pistol, an electric toothbrush and a new pair of shoes.
"Throughout the process, rifles and pistols with advertising caliber can be purchased publicly.
Until 1968, an anti-government student movement scared the authorities to shut down many gun shops.
Three years later, a law was passed ordering the closure of all weapons stores and the registration of all privately owned weapons.
While this new restriction has no effect on Mexico's long-standing high levels of non-political violence, and while few Mexicans actually register guns, Law 1971 has greatly stimulated the black market for guns.
Although weapons can be purchased as before, prices have risen.
Even today, due to bureaucratic difficulties in obtaining a gun import license from the Ministry of Defense, many government departments either buy weapons and ammunition on the black market or smuggle them from the United States.
Many of these guns were purchased in stores in towns near the US border.
But some of the weapons entering Mexico were stolen from the U. S. Army's arsenal, or
As far as the weapons of China, the Soviet Union and the Czech Republic are concerned, they are occasionally seized here --
American soldiers brought them back from Vietnam as loot and sold them to arms dealers.
According to government sources, most of the black market for weapons is semi-official because guns confiscated by the army and police are often resold privately.
An official said: "The best way to buy illegal guns is to check with friends of any police officer or bodyguard.
The market offers a wealth of wealthy businessmen and bankers who have hired bodyguards over the past six years to protect them and their families from the threat of kidnapping by urban guerrillas.
Buyers of illegal weapons come from innocent people such as farmers and recently married men who seek some protection for their new home from urban guerrillas and drug traffickers, and for them guns are
In the northwest of Sinaloa, the increase in opium poppy cultivation and heroin processing has brought about a sharp rise in violence over the past five years, with frequent gun battles between drug gangs, occasional attacks on local businesses and even tourists.
It is believed that some of the weapons used by the gangsters were obtained by direct exchange of heroin, but officials reported that traffickers had obtained most of the modern automatic weapons on the black market.
Thanks to the extensive supply of guns in Mexico, government officials are skeptical about any direct link between sporadic guerrilla activity and the sudden crossing of large quantities of contraband weapons into Mexico.
The only active guerrilla group, the Communist Union 23d in September, was accused by police of many acts of violence in Mexico City.
Earlier this week, an American was killed by armed youths, who police said belonged to the Communist Union.
A version of this file was printed on page 3 of the New York edition on January 23, 1977, titled: smuggling guns in the United States
The United States is common in Mexico.