Help end the deadly export of U.S. guns to Mexico and Central America

Win Without War  

People talk a lot about violence in other countries, Friend, but did you know that as many as 70% of firearms recovered from Mexican crime scenes originated from the United States?

Every year, hundreds of thousands of guns flow south from the United States into Mexico and Central America, destabilizing our neighbors and fueling unspeakable violence at the hands of cartels.

Guns purchased here end up in the hands of drug cartels and armed militias who commit incredible violence in Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica, and beyond. That’s right, lax U.S. gun laws don’t just hurt people here, they are driving suffering across the Western hemisphere.

Thankfully, some in Congress are taking action. Reps. Joaquin Castro, Veronica Escobar, and Maxwell Frost just re-introduced the Stop Arming Cartels Act (H.R. 8427) to cut off the U.S. gun supply at its source.

Now, it’s on activists like us to help build enough support in Congress to get it passed.

It's time for Congress to acknowledge and address the role U.S. gun laws play in international arms trafficking. If you agree, take 30 seconds to build support for this long-overdue legislation now.

We can no longer look the other way as, what Everytown for Gun Safety calls, a deadly "iron river" of weapons pours over the southern border unimpeded. The United States continues to be the sole source of over half of the world's guns — including many that end up in countries with few controls over where, how, and by whom they are used.

That includes the Mexican cartels' weapons of choice: Powerful .50-caliber rifles. These assault weapons are capable of downing military helicopters and ripping armored vehicles to shreds. The kicker? These military-grade guns can't be bought legally in Mexico ― they come from sellers in Texas, Arizona, and beyond.

But the Stop Arming Cartels Act would ban most .50-caliber rifle sales, create a registration process for existing weapons, and pierce the sweeping legal immunity enjoyed by reckless gun makers, which would finally allow victims to hold them accountable. It would also prohibit gun sales to cartel-linked individuals and require reporting of bulk rifle purchases.

This common-sense legislation will make a real difference in people's lives. Now Congress must act. Can you help push them to do it?

Sign now to help build the campaign to halt the deadly export of U.S. guns by urging Congress to pass the Stop Arming Cartels Act without delay.

The United States has an ugly history of fueling instability and violence in the western hemisphere. But together, we can demand a better way forward and help put an end to the dangerous policies, including the ones that allow U.S. guns to drive violence in vulnerable communities.

Thank you for working for peace,

The Win Without War team

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