In Mexico, where, according to U.S. officials, the commercial sale or purchase of a firearm is prohibited and strict controls limit citizens’ access to firearms, illicitly trafficked firearms fuel drug trafficking violence, as we reported in 2009. According to data from ATF’s web-based firearms tracing system, eTrace, the majority of the guns seized and traced in Mexico—about 70 percent from 2010 through 2014—have origins in the United States. As we also reported in 2009, the Mexican government initiated a new national security strategy in 2006 to combat the growing power of criminal organizations and curb their ability to operate with impunity in certain areas of Mexico. The organizations countered government pressure with increased violence against law enforcement entities and the government’s efforts also appeared to result in increasing conflicts among criminal organizations over lucrative drug trafficking routes. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has noted that the Mexican government’s shift in strategy also affected trafficking routes in Central America. As it became more hazardous for traffickers to ship drugs, particularly cocaine, directly to Mexico via air and waterways, an increasing share of the drug trade began to move overland through Central America. Those routes entered Mexico through its shared southern land border with Guatemala and, to a lesser extent, Belize. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, this change in trafficking patterns resulted in increased competition for territorial control among local organized crime groups. Over time, Mexican criminal organizations also increasingly moved south into Central America to gain control of trafficking routes. As a result, violence increased substantially in countries throughout Central America. In recent years, the people of Central America and Mexico have cited violent crime as one of the most important issues facing their countries. Many of the criminal organizations involved in the drug trade also traffic firearms across the region. Although most of the firearms seized and traced in Mexico transited across its northern border with the United States, firearms also travel in both directions across Mexico’s southern border. It is difficult to ascertain the volume of firearms trafficked across Mexico’s border with Guatemala and Belize; however, according to the Mexican government, firearm seizure rates in Mexico’s southern border states are low in comparison to those of northern border states and the rest of the country. According to a binational assessment conducted by U.S. and Mexican officials, many Central American countries lack the capability to trace firearms independently, which makes it difficult to determine the percentage of weapons seized and traced in Mexico that have an origin in Central America. Also, according to ATF officials, unlike Mexico, both Guatemala and Belize allow for the commercial sale and purchase of firearms, so the availability of legal firearms differs considerably across the three countries. Guatemala and Belize are much smaller countries than Mexico, and ATF data on seized and traced firearms indicate that the volume of firearms seized and traced in these countries is also much smaller than that in Mexico. For example, from 2010 to 2014, Mexico seized and traced about 83,000 firearms, while Guatemala seized and traced about 7,000 firearms and Belize seized and traced about 300 firearms. A number of U.S. agencies provide capacity-building assistance in the three countries to help address concerns associated with firearms trafficking, among other things. State: State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) manages most of the funding for the Merida Initiative and CARSI, the two primary initiatives through which the U.S. government funds and manages activities to help address the problem of increasing crime and violence in Mexico and Central America, respectively. In cooperation with several other U.S. agencies, State is also responsible for the overall implementation of these two initiatives. State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) works to reduce the harmful, worldwide effects of at-risk, illicitly proliferated, and indiscriminately used conventional weapons of war, including small arms and light weapons. PM/WRA supports programs around the world that assist governments in securing or destroying abandoned or stockpiled munitions, with a goal of curbing illicit trafficking. In most cases, State does not directly implement counter-firearms activities but instead provides funding for other U.S. agencies or other implementers, such as international organizations or nongovernmental organizations, to implement the activities. As the funding organization, State maintains responsibility for oversight of these efforts. Department of Justice: For over 45 years, ATF has implemented efforts to combat arms trafficking within the United States and from the United States to other countries as part of its mission under the Gun Control Act. ATF is responsible for investigating criminal and regulatory violations of federal firearms laws, among other responsibilities. ATF traces U.S. and foreign manufactured firearms for international, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, to link a firearm recovered in a criminal investigation to its first retail purchaser. It is the only entity within the U.S. government able to trace firearms recovered from crimes in Mexico. ATF has four offices in Mexico and an office in El Salvador that provides assistance throughout Central America, including in Guatemala and Belize. Through these offices, ATF provides an international liaison to support ATF’s mission to interdict and prevent illegal firearms trafficking and combat violent criminal gangs. ICITAP works with foreign governments to develop professional and transparent law enforcement institutions that protect human rights, combat corruption, and reduce the threat of transnational crime and terrorism. ICITAP provides a wide range of public safety development expertise, including assistance in areas such as organizational development, criminal investigations, and forensics. Department of Homeland Security: CBP coordinates and supports foreign initiatives, programs, and activities with its external partners around the world. CBP strives to protect U.S. borders by implementing programs and initiatives that promote antiterrorism, global border security, nonproliferation, export controls, immigration, and capacity building. For over 30 years, ICE—and previously the U.S. Customs Service— has implemented efforts to enforce U.S. export laws. ICE agents and other staff address a range of issues, including combating the illicit smuggling of money, people, drugs, and firearms. ICE has offices in Mexico and Guatemala whose missions are to support domestic operations by coordinating investigations with foreign counterparts, disrupt criminal efforts to smuggle people and materials into the United States, and build international partnerships through outreach and training. U.S. agencies and other implementing partners have undertaken a number of capacity-building activities that directly or indirectly support counter-firearms trafficking efforts in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico. Figure 1 outlines the areas of effort under which these activities fall. As discussed below, these activities were selected based, in part, on the needs of each country. Some of these activities relate directly to firearms trafficking, such as ATF firearms identification training, while others broadly support antitrafficking or border security efforts that include efforts to stem the trafficking of firearms as one of many goals. For example, State has provided nonintrusive inspection equipment to Mexico that can be used to scan vehicles and containers for drugs or other contraband, including firearms. These activities are largely funded by State and implemented by other U.S. agencies or other implementing partners, including international organizations or nongovernmental organizations. The activities include the following: Firearms training: ATF has an attaché in Mexico and a regional attaché in El Salvador who supports activities throughout Central America, including in Guatemala and Belize. Among their responsibilities is managing a series of training courses for local officials. In fiscal year 2014, ATF’s Mexico office managed 27 courses that trained over 1,200 students. These training courses covered a number of topics related to firearms and explosives and included 10 firearms identification courses. In the same year, ATF’s Central America office managed 3 courses that trained nearly 200 students. All 3 courses covered eTrace and 1 also covered investigative techniques. Provision and support of eTrace: ATF helps partner country governments improve their use of the eTrace system. In 2009, ATF launched a Spanish-language version of the system, which is used in Guatemala and Mexico. Belizean officials use the English version of eTrace. ATF officials work with host country officials to ensure that they understand how to use the system and to encourage them to input all crime weapons seized within the country into the system for tracing. Stockpile management: From 2010 through 2012, PM/WRA provided a grant to the OAS to assist in the destruction of excess firearms and ammunition in Guatemala. In 2012, PM/WRA also provided funding for enhanced physical security of stockpile storage facilities in Belize. Firearms marking equipment and training: Under a PM/WRA grant, from 2009 through 2014, the OAS implemented a program to help facilitate the tracing process by distributing firearms marking machines throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, including in Guatemala and Belize. The program also included training on how to use the equipment. The program provided five machines to Guatemala and one machine to Belize, based on an assessment of the needs of each country. Forensic training and assistance: The United States initiated several efforts to enhance the capacity of forensics labs, including their ability to conduct ballistics work, in each of the three countries. In Mexico, INL and ICITAP have provided support at the national and state levels, through two separate programs, to help forensics labs meet international standards. In Central America, INL supported a regional program in forensics training. Additionally, INL officials noted that INL has provided bilateral support to the forensics labs in both Guatemala and Belize, including bringing a ballistics expert to Belize for a yearlong detail in its forensics lab. According to INL officials, INL intends to extend this detail by another year. Additionally, the United States has supported the use of the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) in forensics labs in each country.