For anyone who is really interest in how the drug cartels gets hold of US Military hardware, then the following report should be of some interest.

The Mexican Army has received over one billion US dollars in US Military hardware in less than one year. Over half of these high grade weapons received by Mexico have been lost, stolen, or cannot be accounted for.

During the last six months a American secret military Task Force team working with a specialized Mexican unit from Mexico City, has located over sixteen hundred high grade US military weapons and hardware in a Juarez warehouse controlled by the Zetas and the gulf Cartel. This is only one of many storage facilities scattered throughout Mexico that contain US Military hardware.

This documented story from inside Mexico has and will not be covered by the United States mainstream media because of political reasons on both sides of the border. This loss of weapons, once inside Mexico, is the United States government and the Homeland Security's active program in protecting us from this northward creeping drug war which is now a solid threat to out National Security.

The weapons which have been found by the Mexican government scattered throughout Mexico are not weapons which can be transported across border checkpoints in the back of pickup trucks or in autos. Its extremely hard to sneak an Anti-aircraft gun or a stinger missile across a border check point without raising an eyebrow or two. Nor can you readily buy them at Pawn Shops or Gun shows in the United States.

http://www.fas.org/programs/ssp/asmp/factsandfigures/government_data_index.html

U.S. Arms Transfers: Government Data

FAS Resources | Other Databases | Reports

American arms manufacturers have two major channels through which they can sell major weaponry to foreign countries: foreign military sales ("FMS"), in which a government-to-government agreement is negotiated by the Pentagon; and direct commercial sales ("DCS"), in which industry negotiates directly with the purchasing country and must apply for a license from the State Department.
The United States government also transfers arms to other countries by giving away weapons from U.S.military stocks for free or at greatly reduced prices, classified as excess defense articles (EDA) or emergency "drawdowns." The United States also provides military training to many foreign countries. These transfers are also managed by the Defense Department. For more information about types of U.S.arms transfers, read the "Ways and Means" chapter of The Arms Trade Revealed....".


http://fas.org/programs/ssp/asmp/factsandfigures/government_data/section655_FY2007.html

Additional background information in process of being updated:

RETURN to the current State Department web site.

U.S. Department of State
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
The Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) implements the International Narcotics Control element of the U.S. foreign assistance program, which is intended to enhance the institutional capabilities of foreign governments to define and implement strategies and national programs that prevent the production, trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs. These international programs focus on law enforcement and interdiction capabilities, criminal justice system reform, eradication of drug crops, alternative development, and demand reduction. INL's Aviation Division supports host governments worldwide in their efforts to locate and eradicate drug crops, interdict drug production and trafficking activities, and develop their own institutional counter-narcotics aviation program.
Programs | Reports | Remarks | Press Statements | Fact Sheets
Programs
The Role of U.S. Government Agencies
Narcotics Rewards Program
Country Programs
Reports
International Narcotics Control Strategy Report
Remarks
12/13/00: Ambassador Sheehan, Testimony Before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime (Drug Trafficking)
11/20/00: Barry McCaffrey, Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy; Thomas R. Pickering, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; and Guillermo Fernandez de Soto, Foreign Minister of Colombia, Press Conference at Casa de Narino, Bogota, Colombia
10/12/00: Assistant Secretary Rand Beers statement before the Criminal Justice, Drug Policy, and Human Resources Subcommittee of the House Committee on Government Reform, Washington, DC (Plan Colombia)
09/21/00: Assistant Secretary Rand Beers Statement before the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee, Washington, DC (Plan Colombia)
09/15/00: Secretary Albright remarks at Stakeout Following 6 + 2 Meeting on Afghanistan, New York, NY
09/15/00: Secretary Albright statement on 6 + 2 Meeting on Afghanistan, New York, NY
07/25/00: Assistant Secretary Rand Beers remarks before the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, Washington, DC (Drug Ecstasy)
06/09/00: Assistant Secretary Rand Beers remarks before the Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources Subcommittee, House Committee on Government Reform, Washington, DC (Counternarcotics Cooperation With Panama)
04/26/00: Assistant Secretary Rand Beers remarks before the Hispanic Council on International Relations, Washington, DC (U.S. Efforts to Combat International Narcotics and Crime)
04/04/00: Assistant Secretary Rand Beers statement before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Washington, DC (Plan Colombia)
03/21/00: Rand Beers, Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, Washington, DC (A Review of the Annual Certification Process)
02/25/00: Rand Beers, Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, Narcotics and Terrorism Subcommittee, Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Washington, DC (Plan Colombia)
01/11/00: Rand Beers, Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Peter Romero, Acting Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, and Arturo Valenzuela, Special Assistant to the President for Inter-American Affairs at a special briefing on U.S. aid to Colombia, Washington, DC ($1.6 Billion Aid Package to Colombia)
1999-1996 Remarks
Press Statements
01/19/01: Counternarcotics Cooperation With Colombia
12/19/00: Bolivia's Coca Reduction Efforts
11/29/00: Colombian Rebel Connection to Mexican Drug Cartel
11/16/00: Pakistani Counter-Narcotics Delegation Visits the United States for Consultations
11/01/00: White House Press Statement: Text of Annual Drug Majors List (see fact sheet)
10/19/00: White House Press Statement: Letter to Congress on Narcotics Traffickers in Colombia
05/12/00: Mexico: Rewards for Ramon Arellano-Felix and Benjamin Arellano-Felix
05/10/00: Pakistan: Sentencing of Sakhi Dost Notezai
05/04/00: Mexico: Arrest of Ismael Higuera-Guerrero
03/01/00: White House Press Statement: Annual Presidential Certifications for Major Drug Producing and Transit Countries
03/01/00: White House Press Statement: Presidential Determination on Major Illicit Drug Producing and Drug Transit Countries
02/25/00: Narcotics Certification Briefing
02/02/00: Mexico: Unprecedented Cooperation at Sea
01/19/00: Thai Authorities Seize 126 Kilograms of Heroin
01/12/00: Peru's Coca Reduction Efforts
01/11/00: Statement by Secretary Albright (U.S. Assistance to Colombia)
1999-1998 Press Statements
Fact Sheets
01/17/01: The Aerial Eradication of Illicit Crops: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
12/11/00: INL International Demand Reduction Initiatives
11/01/00: Majors List and The Certification Process
08/16/00: Counternarcotics Efforts in the Andean Region
08/04/00: Combating Drug Traffickers Through Forward Operating Locations
08/04/00: Presidential Decision Directive on the Colombia Initiative: Increased U.S. Assistance for Colombia (White House)
07/19/00: Plan Colombia
07/10/00: Demand Reduction
04/17/00: The United States Government Border Security Assistance Programs in Kyrgyzstan
02/00: Travel Warning on Drugs Abroad
01/11/00: Colombia Assistance Package
1999-1998 Fact Sheets
[end of document]

Tosh Plumlee Wrote:[Its extremely hard to sneak an Anti-aircraft gun or a stinger missile across a border check point without raising an eyebrow or two. Nor can you readily buy them at Pawn Shops or Gun shows in the United States.