Tell Congress to Stop Arming Cartels with trafficked U.S. firearms

Now is the time for those responsible to renounce the logic of weapons and take the path of negotiation and peace, with the support of the international community. The voice of weapons must be silenced, while the voice of fraternity and justice must be raised. … Let us plead God to stop the pandemic of arms, large and small, which infects our world. May our Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace, help us to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah, “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks.”

—Pope Leo XIV, Angelus, 31 August 2025

Tell Congress to Stop Arming Cartels with trafficked U.S. firearms

Last month, violence erupted in Mexico after a military raid killed a cartel leader. In retaliation, the cartel set buses, supermarkets, and other businesses on fire and blocked highways, killing dozens and stranding many more. This violence is enabled by weak U.S. gun laws that allow up to 500,000 guns to be trafficked to cartels every year.

Tell Congress to pass HR 923 / S 367, the Stop Arming Cartels Act to end this “iron river” of firearms exacerbating violence and death on both sides of the border. We also invite you to read and share this open letter signed by the Mercy Justice Team and a number of other organizations on “The Same Guns Are Killing Us All.”

Background

Despite so much focus on immigration and dehumanizing immigrants, the Trump administration has given little attention to the root causes of migration, including U.S.–fueled violence across the globe. More than two-thirds of crime guns recovered in Mexico are sourced from the U.S. – manufactured and purchased in the U.S. and trafficked over the border – including the deadly .50-caliber rifles that can accurately fire at targets over a mile away as well as penetrate some armored vehicles. These weapons have no place on the streets but are a popular choice for criminal organizations. The Stop Arming Cartels Act would ban their sale in the United States as well as strengthen regulations specifically focused on criminal organizations and straw purchasing of these rifles.