Graphics show the avalanche of guns from US to Mexico

Nick Penzenstadler and Javier Zarracina, Louisville Courier Journal
·2 min read
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American firearms are smuggled south as part of the cycle of Latin-American narcotics headed north.
American firearms are smuggled south as part of the cycle of Latin-American narcotics headed north.

Leaked Mexican military intelligence provides detailed information on the southern flow of firearms from the United States, including which types of American-made guns are most likely to end up at a crime scene.Trace data provides the make, model, serial number and first point of sale for weapons recovered in Mexico, offering a window as to which are most in demand.

Investigation: Hacked data reveals a new nightmare for US gun industry

Here are some of the top models:

Anderson Manufacturing AM-15

The firearm most commonly found at Mexico crime scenes in the 2018-2020 dataset is the Anderson Manufacturing AM-15, a variant of the AR-15 chambered to shoot the popular 5.56 x 45mm ammunition. Mexican officials recovered more than 500 of the weapons, which are made in Kentucky and sold in gun stores in 16 states.

Colt Government

The second-most recovered firearm was the Colt Government pistol, with 485 recoveries. That model was the standard-issue U.S. military sidearm from 1911 to 1985.

Century Arms RAS47

Another popular platform is the AK-47 replica Century Arms RAS47 made in Virginia with 266. In Mexican slang, they're known as “cuernos de chivo,” goat’s horns, due to the curved magazines on the Soviet-era Kalashnikov knockoffs popularized in cartel culture.

Cheap small arms and revolvers are very popular, too, such as the Jennings JA-25, a small 22 caliber pistol, or the Smith and Wesson Model 10, a classic handgun used by the U.S. military and law enforcement for over a century.

How many guns cross from US to Mexico

These five popular models comprise just a small portion of the avalanche of guns flowing across the border. From 2018 to 2022, at least 78,000 guns were recovered or traced.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mexican authorities American guns are favored by criminals