How A Texas-Based Smuggler Sent ‘Weapons Of War’ To A Mexican Drug Cartel

In the business of trafficking illegal guns to Mexico, Texas plays a major role.

By Alexandra HartAugust 13, 2019 10:00 am

In the wake of recent mass shootings, the debate about the place of powerful firearms in our country continues. But the proliferation of guns in the U.S. may have wider-reaching implications than just the domestic gun control debate.

High-powered guns are also making their way south of the border, and ending up in the hands of Mexican drug cartels. Many of them come from Texas.

Seth Harp is a writer for Rolling Stone, which just published his feature, “Arming the Cartels: The Inside Story of a Texas Gun-Smuggling Ring.” He says his story began with a retired police officer, living in Georgetown – Michael Fox – who smuggled mini guns across the border with Mexico and into the hands of a drug cartel. Despite the diminutive name, a mini-gun is actually a fully-automatic weapon, usually powered by electricity, that is banned in the U.S.

“Sometimes we refer to assault rifles as weapons of war, but this is a true weapon of war,” Harp says. 

What you’ll hear in this segment:

– Who was part of the mini-gun smuggling effort

– How guns were smuggled

– Why the smugglers were caught

 

Written by Shelly Brisbin.