In attempts to rid the streets and homes of dangerous weapons, the State Public Security Secretariat (SSPE) and the Mexican Army have set up modules in Nuevo Leon in where citizens can turn in weapons without fear of criminal investigation.Citizens are encouraged to take weapons to the modules where they will be received, checked, and classified by soldiers. Once the weapons have been registered, they will be exchanged for vouchers which can be used in grocery stores, convenient stores and gas stations.
In the past six days 23 grenades, 160 handguns, 79 rifles, over 12,000 rounds of live ammunition, 49 magazines of various calibers, 99 BB guns, 120 BB rifles, and 64 toy guns have been turned in.
According to the SSPE spokesman, Jorge Domene Zambrano, authorities are pleased with the amount of weapons recovered so far, but had hoped to receive more grenades.
Rifles and shotguns are exchanged for $3500 peso vouchers, handguns classified for military use are paid $2500, and any others $1500. Additionally, the State will pay $500 pesos for BB guns, $300 pesos for 100 pieces of live ammunition, and toy guns will be exchanged for balls.
Photos: Grupo Reforma
Sources: Milenio, Televisa
Yeah, sure all the sicarios will turn their guns in. Man, what a smart move from Calderon's circus.
ReplyDeletethis is pretty awesome. turn in toy guns for balls.
ReplyDeleteGreat, take the guns out of the hands of those who would not use them to do harm. Matanzas is correct...it will not be the DTOs giving it up. Looks like pretty low caliber stuff, probably worth less than half of what they are getting so maybe it is simply a good business deal.
ReplyDeleteThis program has existed in the US for a long while.
Lets invite an unarmed public to a downtown plaza in Monterrey for a picnic...
ReplyDeleteThis is crazy...these are the honest folks...
I thought this story was gonna be about handing out vouchers for citizens to RECEIVE GUNS after they pass certain tests...yea, right!
ReplyDeleteAnd then the army will sell them to the cartels....
ReplyDeleteHonestly i think the cartels are going to rob one of these weapon stashes one day
ReplyDelete$500 dollars for a damn BB gun?!?! wtf!?!? its not like there any real danger.
ReplyDeleteyeap any body that turns a gun in is probably reasonably law abiding and should keep their gun..
ReplyDeleteand i agree , the odds are that these guns end up in the hands of bad guys...some gob official will turn a quick buck from this deal
but this demonstrates how there is no desire amongst the citizens of Mexico to be able to defend themselves ...
like i said before ..if you gave them guns , they would just sell them
another DUH move from the brilliant gob de Mexico
Yes 500 dollars for a BB gun. Mexico's unit of currency is the dollar.....Idiot they mean pesos.
ReplyDeleteNow only the criminals will have guns...
ReplyDeleteMarc
ReplyDeleteWhat stupidity, at a moment in time when there is no law and order - the government can not protect private property and neither it's citizens and now this?
"Anonymous February 10, 2011 4:37 AM said...
ReplyDelete$500 dollars for a damn BB gun?!?! wtf!?!? its not like there any real danger. "
It's 500 pesos which is like $40-45 USD
This is Hollywood nothing more..I always say Mx PR is like a Hollywood set, looks real until you look behind the set and nothing there..
ReplyDeleteThe thing is the Government fools no one, how could they think it would?..sure people will take advantage of the offer if it is beneficial, but really so-so silly
it doesnt make sence, probably what happened was the cartels told the milatary that to many civies have guns and it was easyier to buy the guns then get shot buy them, or the cartels are getting low on guns, the cartels will end up with whats turned in anyway
ReplyDeleteKind of like the gun buy back they had in chicago a couple of years ago. $100 cash gift cards no questions for any firearm, $10 for air guns. I took 3 junk guns that were only worth their weight in scrap and got $300. I took a chinese break barrel .177 air pistol and also got $100 for it (the highly skilled police officer who was inspecting guns said it was a chinese .22 lr rimfire, I'm like really. I took the proceeds and bought a very nice used browning 20 gauge shotgun. Many of us in illinois took their money and financed other guns, an instructor bought some cricket .22 rifles to teach kids to shoot safely. Sad part of the buyback in chicago is that some highly collectable guns were turned in by little old ladies. Moral of this story/event, criminals DO NOT turn in their guns.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy collecting guns and shooting but I'm not a red neck or hillbilly, right wing nut, I'm not even white. And I don't live somewhere in the country, I live in a very urban area.
For all the people that keep saying "these are the honest folks." I don't know of any honest neighbors of mine having any grenades? Where the hell is the honest folks in that?? Did you not read the story?
ReplyDelete"In the past six days 23 grenades"
Oh yeah I'm just an honest citizen keeping a grenade here in my house. Hmm I wonder for what?
WHAT?! THE?! H!???
ReplyDeleteThey're tricking people now to truly make them defenseless againts the real criminals, they've got to be kidding! They ought to be doing the opposite and GIVE guns to those with a history of abducted relatives
OMG!!
From "The San Antonio Express" newspaper, reporter Dane Schiller reports that a Pharr,Texas 21-year-old man was caught trying to smuggle a .30 caliber weapon in a gun case in the back of his HummerH3 to Mexico. This is a type of weapon used in World War II,Korea and Vietnam. This weapon is a fully automatic machinegun mounted on a tripod.Court papers do not indicate where he got the Browning .30 caliber gun. According to an affidavit,ICE agents claim Julio Cesar Ramirez had been threatened by unidentified indiviudals who threatened harm to Ramirez and his family if he did not fully comply with their instructions.
ReplyDeleteRamirez said he was told to pick up a black case at a convenience store in McAllen and take it to Pharr,where he was to leave it halfway across the international bridge, according to the affidavit. A Pharr police officer working with federal inspectors to check vehicles leaving the country for contraband was the first to question Ramirez. ATF is scheduled to launch a campaign aimed in part at warning people not to be tempted or tricked into helping weapons traffickers buy guns. Seventeen billboards and 200 posters are going up in the Houston area with the warning "Don't lie for the other guy". ATF contends that Houston is the No. 1 spot in the United States for buying guns later to be used in Mexico.
@12:42pm
ReplyDeleteI'm sure these are inert grenades (hollow insides, don't work). Depending on how much the government is giving vouchers for these, there could be a very good profit potential.
"According to the SSPE spokesman, Jorge Domene Zambrano, authorities are pleased with the amount of weapons recovered so far, but had hoped to receive more grenades."
ReplyDelete------------------------------
LOL! Yeah he hoped they'd get more grenades! Now where are they going to get the rest to fill the order from the cartel? Guess they gotta buy 'em from South Korea.
@February 10, 2011 2:12 PM
ReplyDeleteAnd how would you know?? You were not even there so don't make assumptions or excuses for these people... these grenades work
They should hand out guns to the citizens.
ReplyDeleteWhat a stupid, stupid thing the government did with this gun buy back shit! You don't think the cartels had people watching to see who is not "packing heat" anymore! Hell, let's just strip the citizens of their clothes too cause their dignity is gone!!!!
ReplyDeleteOf course they would turn in the items for vouchers cause they are freaking hungry and have no damn support from anyone!
@"You don't think the cartels had people watching to see who is not "packing heat" anymore! "
ReplyDeleteDon't you know the difference between organized crime and ordinary crime??? Cartels are not in it to burglarized your home...there in it for the drugs and the money get the difference?? Duh!
Great idea. The government of Mexico will not protect you so turn in your guns so that you can't protect yourself. Morons.
ReplyDeleteWho came up with this counter productive crap, Zetas,CDG ?? Who other than criminals could possibly benefit from this move.Nobody anywhere in the world,except liberal progressives would support such lunacy no wonder Mexico is in lawless turmoil WTF ????
ReplyDeleteAwesome program.Keep up the good work.Its only the beginning.
ReplyDelete