The Mexican cartels are a massive problem, and not just for Mexico.

But they're a major problem down that way, pushing the nation closer and closer to failed state status, and rather than deal with them, the government wants to blame American gun companies and take them to court.

They claim that American companies are flooding the streets of Mexico with guns and so on.

Yet it seems we now know what the cartels really want, and guess what? Most of it isn't even available to you and me.

If you have a subscription with WSJ, you can check out the full article on their website. If not, we’ve summarized it below.

Here are the top firearms coveted by Mexican cartels, as outlined by the WSJ:

The M134 Minigun: A six-barrel machine gun capable of firing 4,000 bullets per minute. Often used to protect high-profile drug leaders, it can destroy a small vehicle in moments and is reserved for extreme operations where overwhelming firepower is needed. It’s not a gun available to the U.S. civilian market.

...

M249 SAW (Squad Automatic Weapon): A lightweight machine gun capable of firing 850 rounds per minute. This prized weapon is used by top cartel leaders’ security details, symbolizing status and power among criminal ranks.

...

Rocket Launchers: The M72 LAW antitank rocket launcher is used to target the Mexican military and destroy armored cartel vehicles. These powerful weapons are smuggled into Mexico for heavy combat situations.

Now, that's not all of it. I removed the .50-caliber Barrett, the Colt Customs that the big bosses seem to like as status symbols, and the Beretta .22 pistol that they foist off on the new guys. Most people in the United States can get these, though the Barrett is restricted in some places. Those aren't particularly interesting.

I also omitted the AK-47, primarily because we don't know if they meant the civilian-legal version or one capable of full-auto fire. One we can get relatively easily in most states while the other is a different matter entirely.

If the issue is that American guns are fueling cartel violence, why are they trying to get their hands on things that we simply cannot obtain lawfully? They're not committing straw buys here in the US for rocket launchers and miniguns. 

They're not just dreaming of these weapons, either. They're getting them and using them.

If all their guns come from the United States, then just how are they getting these? Any of these in civilian hands here in the US fall under NFA guidelines, which are the strictest gun control laws in the nation and parallel what many gun-restrictive countries use for any firearm. It's what a lot of people think we need for guns in general.

They're not getting these from the regular, civilian firearm market. They're coming from somewhere else.

What that means is that even if we enacted every possible measure being proposed, including any the Mexican government seems to think we need, the cartels would still be getting guns from black market dealers or  military and police personnel in Mexico and other Central American countries. 

So sod off with this idea that if we trample our rights, Mexico would suddenly become a safe nation.