What You Can Do to Stop US Arms to Mexico

The massive trafficking of military-grade weapons into Mexico are the result of the enormous commercial market of such firearms that are easy to obtain in the United States. Access to assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, restrictions on federal disclosures about crime guns, and legislation that protects the gun industry impact gun violence and efforts to stop it in Mexico as much as in the United States.

At the same time, U.S. guns legally exported to Mexico with few controls on where they go are part of the growing human rights crisis in Mexico that is impacting migrants as well as Mexican communities. It is critical to establish a new framework for Mexico and gun policies and support limits on U.S. gun exports to Mexico that contribute to the unprecedented levels of gun violence there.

Support the ARMAS Act, assault weapons ban, and other federal legislative proposals in Congress that would affect the illegal flow of weapons from the United States to Mexico. More information here.

Hoja de información en español sobre el ARMAS Act.

Contact your Congressional Representative - here is how.

Use our Key Facts sheet to inform your advocacy.

Other actions you can take to stop the flow of deadly weapons to Mexico:

  • Community Education: Host a speaking event by a human rights defender or community member from Mexico or Central America who has been impacted by violence with U.S. guns. Contact the Stop US Arms project for more information. We also have speakers available for virtual events.
  • Research team. We are researching the use of U.S. guns in Mexico, gun producer companies, and the distribution of weapons within Mexico. This includes documenting the use of firearms in homicides on a daily basis. If you have research capacity (time and data skills), please contact us.
  • Spread the word on social media. Be a social media jedeye for the Stop US Arms to Mexico campaign. Check out our Stop US Arms to Mexico social media toolkit.
  • Contribute to support the Stop US Arms to Mexico project.

For information and to become involved, contact coordinator John Lindsay-Poland, johnlindsaypoland@gmail.com, 510-282-8983.

Stop US Arms to Mexico is a project of Global Exchange that works to reduce the flow of weapons from the United States to Mexico, both illegal traffic and legal exports, that are contributing to displacement, state violence, homicides, and violent crime. Stop US Arms partners with groups in the U.S. and Mexico, including School of Americas Watch, Forum on the Arms Trade, and the Mexican Commission for the Defense of Human Rights.