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The DOJ and ATF have announced they seized more than 36,000 illegal firearms and over 2.3 million rounds of ammunition in 2025, some of which were bound for Mexico.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, Mexican cartels rely heavily on firearms trafficked from the United States to circumvent Mexico’s strict gun laws. Mexico’s Defense Secretary recently revealed that roughly 80% of the 18,000 firearms seized under President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration originated in the US, including high-powered weapons such as .50 caliber Barrett rifles. Authorities also noted that large quantities of seized .50 caliber ammunition were traced back to US sources, including the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Missouri. Their data also shows that Arizona has emerged as the most prevalent source state for trafficked weapons, with a majority of US-sourced guns recovered in Mexico within a year of purchase originating there, followed by Texas.  

What’s going on now: According to the DOJ and ATF, federal agents have seized 36,277 illegal firearms and 2,317,999 rounds of ammunition since January 20, 2025, as part of what officials described as an aggressive nationwide crackdown on gun trafficking networks. Of those totals, 4,359 firearms and 648,975 rounds of ammunition were intercepted before they could be trafficked into Mexico. Authorities said the seizures targeted gang members and suppliers tied to transnational criminal organizations operating across state lines and international borders.

ATF Deputy Director Robert Cekada stressed that the flow of illegal firearms is not confined to the Southwest border, stating, “Illegal crime guns increasingly originate from every state in the country. This is not a southwest border problem, it is a national threat.” He added, “ATF agents are aggressively targeting gangs, cartels, and transnational criminal organizations that illegally traffic firearms and turn American streets into war zones. We will dismantle these networks at every level, cut off their access to weapons, and hold every criminal fully accountable under the law.”

Cekada also highlighted the use of Crime Gun Intelligence tools to track weapons from crime scenes back to their points of origin and identify upstream suppliers.