Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

On June 5 and 6, 2025, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials participated in a roundtable co-hosted by the State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection). The roundtable took place in Mexico City and brought over 100 Government of Mexico officials together with U.S. law enforcement components from across the government to discuss arms trafficking trends and best practices in curbing arms trafficking.

ATF was joined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals Service in meetings with public security secretaries and attorneys general from most Mexican states, along with federal government representatives from across the Mexican government. Sessions included presentations on seizing and storing illegal firearms, arms and explosive trafficking trends, and investigative case studies where eTrace and bilateral information sharing led to successful outcomes. Additionally, there were discussions of new bilateral projects to curb arms trafficking, which include the sharing of ballistic information linked to crimes between the U.S. and Mexico border states, and a data exploitation lab, where weaponized drones will be leveraged for the arms trafficking vetted unit.

“ATF’s partnerships with both our international and domestic law enforcement counterparts are critical when it comes to stopping the illegal flow of weapons across our southern border,” ATF Acting Director Daniel Driscoll said. “ATF will continue to work with our partners to stop the flow of dangerous weapons to Mexican cartels.”

Earlier this week, ATF also held a join press conference with CBP and HSI in Laredo, Texas. During this event, speakers highlighted interagency efforts regarding interdictions of southbound firearms. Likewise, the event underscored ATF’s commitment to stemming the flow of illegal firearms across the southern border, and the enhanced consequences for weapons smuggling given the designation of major Mexican-based cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

“ATF works with law enforcement agencies in more than 50 countries to combat illegal firearms trafficking worldwide and identify threats before they reach America’s borders,” said ATF Deputy Assistant Director Shawn Morrow, of the Office of Intelligence Operations. “This roundtable is only one example of how our attachés across the globe work with foreign governments to dismantle criminal organizations and identify emerging threats. This work, especially in Mexico, is critical to keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent groups.”

ATF is the federal law enforcement agency responsible for regulating the firearm industry and enforcing laws related to firearms and violent crime. For more information, visit atf.gov or follow @ATFHQ on X.

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

On June 5 and 6, 2025, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officials participated in a roundtable co-hosted by the State Department Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection). The roundtable took place in Mexico City and brought over 100 Government of Mexico officials together with U.S. law enforcement components from across the government to discuss arms trafficking trends and best practices in curbing arms trafficking.

ATF was joined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Marshals Service in meetings with public security secretaries and attorneys general from most Mexican states, along with federal government representatives from across the Mexican government. Sessions included presentations on seizing and storing illegal firearms, arms and explosive trafficking trends, and investigative case studies where eTrace and bilateral information sharing led to successful outcomes. Additionally, there were discussions of new bilateral projects to curb arms trafficking, which include the sharing of ballistic information linked to crimes between the U.S. and Mexico border states, and a data exploitation lab, where weaponized drones will be leveraged for the arms trafficking vetted unit.

“ATF’s partnerships with both our international and domestic law enforcement counterparts are critical when it comes to stopping the illegal flow of weapons across our southern border,” ATF Acting Director Daniel Driscoll said. “ATF will continue to work with our partners to stop the flow of dangerous weapons to Mexican cartels.”

Earlier this week, ATF also held a join press conference with CBP and HSI in Laredo, Texas. During this event, speakers highlighted interagency efforts regarding interdictions of southbound firearms. Likewise, the event underscored ATF’s commitment to stemming the flow of illegal firearms across the southern border, and the enhanced consequences for weapons smuggling given the designation of major Mexican-based cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

“ATF works with law enforcement agencies in more than 50 countries to combat illegal firearms trafficking worldwide and identify threats before they reach America’s borders,” said ATF Deputy Assistant Director Shawn Morrow, of the Office of Intelligence Operations. “This roundtable is only one example of how our attachés across the globe work with foreign governments to dismantle criminal organizations and identify emerging threats. This work, especially in Mexico, is critical to keeping illegal firearms out of the hands of violent groups.”

ATF is the federal law enforcement agency responsible for regulating the firearm industry and enforcing laws related to firearms and violent crime. For more information, visit atf.gov or follow @ATFHQ on X.