MONTERREY (Reuters) –
A Mexican national named Jose Luis Meneses, who was employed as an investigator for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) at the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, confessed to purchasing firearm components online and from a gun store in California with the intent to traffic them into Mexico for personal gain in 2017. This revelation comes from a letter written by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley and an ATF memo from that period, both obtained by Reuters. This information has not previously been disclosed.
The smuggling of firearms from the United States into Mexico is a significant diplomatic concern. Mexican officials argue that their American counterparts are not taking effective measures to prevent the illegal flow of weapons, which they claim contributes to the country’s high rate of homicides and equips drug cartels. Approximately 70% of firearms utilized in crimes and confiscated in Mexico can be traced back to the United States, according to the ATF.
Dated October 18, the Grassley letter referred to the 2017 ATF memo and disclosed “whistleblower disclosures” while accusing the agency of failing to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the matter. It stated, “If these protected disclosures are true and accurate, they illustrate a failure by the ATF to hold its employees accountable for criminal misconduct.” The letter also raised concerns regarding the information shared with Mexican authorities regarding the ATF employee’s alleged gun smuggling activities, which could potentially strain relations between the two countries.
A senior Mexican diplomatic official has called for an investigation into the matter, emphasizing the importance of ensuring accountability, preventing such actions from recurring, and bringing those responsible to justice. ATF has acknowledged receiving the letter and stated that it investigates such allegations and takes appropriate action. However, the agency declined to provide specific details about the case. A U.S. government official explained that the situation was dealt with in line with procedures, clarifying that after the embassy became aware of suspicious activity, they promptly revoked the individual’s access to the compound, conducted an investigation, and terminated his employment within a month. The official underscored that the U.S. government has a zero-tolerance policy toward such behavior.
The internal investigation into Meneses commenced when a vendor of firearm components alerted the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana about suspicious purchases. This tip led American officials to interrogate Meneses, who admitted to acquiring firearm parts in the United States, smuggling them into Mexico, and delivering them to his brother, a Mexican police officer, as well as a former Mexican soldier. ATF agents from the San Diego office subsequently conducted a search of the post office box that Meneses claimed to have used for his acquisitions. In that search, they discovered components for assault-style rifles and high-capacity magazines. Meneses employed a vehicle with diplomatic license plates to avoid border searches while smuggling the firearms. According to the ATF memo, Meneses mentioned that he had purchased enough parts to construct eight AR-15 rifles. His employment was terminated in April 2017, following his placement on administrative leave.
In his letter, Grassley accused the ATF of treating the gun smuggling allegations as an “administrative matter,” and he questioned whether the agency explored possible connections between Meneses or his associates and Mexican drug cartels. The ATF memo, prepared by a high-ranking ATF official in Mexico at the time, provides a detailed overview of Meneses’ case and is addressed to the former head of Mexico’s specialized unit for investigating terrorism and arms trafficking. However, it is unclear whether the memo was ever sent. On May 9, 2017, the ATF official sent an email to a senior State Department official in Mexico indicating that “ATF will not make any notifications to GOM (the government of Mexico).” ATF and the Mexican government have not responded to inquiries regarding whether U.S. officials subsequently informed Mexico about the case. Reuters has been unable to contact Meneses directly.
ATF’s operations in Mexico have previously generated controversy. The “Fast and Furious” scheme, a previously undisclosed ATF initiative from 2009 to 2011, aimed to combat gun smuggling from the United States to Mexico. The operation allowed individuals to unlawfully purchase firearms in the United States and transport them to Mexico, where the weapons were intended to be traceable, thus enabling law enforcement officials to track drug cartel leaders. However, some of the weapons were later implicated in homicides in Mexico, triggering a contentious exchange of blame between the two nations. The repercussions of this gun-running scandal, known as “Fast and Furious,” continue to resonate in Mexican politics after more than a decade.
(Reporting by Sarah Kinosian and Laura Gottesdiener; editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Jonathan Oatis)
