By John Q. Hosedrinker 
An investigation by the ICIJ and media partners revealed that nearly half of all .50-caliber rifle rounds seized by Mexican authorities over a decade originated from a United States Army ammunition plant. This powerful ammunition, including armor-piercing rounds, has been used by Mexican drug cartels in deadly attacks on government forces and civilians. Despite congressional efforts, .50-caliber ammunition manufactured at the Lake City plant has entered retail markets, allowing it to fall into the hands of criminal organizations. Mexican authorities, who have seized thousands of U.S.-origin firearms and ammunition, are questioning the U.S. government about how these weapons, intended for military use, are reaching Mexico.
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The recent revelation that nearly half of the powerful .50-caliber ammunition seized by the Mexican government originated from a U.S. Army plant is a complex issue, and understanding its origins requires looking beyond a simple narrative of military theft. While the headline might suggest direct diversion from U.S. military stockpiles, the reality is far more nuanced and points towards the vastness of the civilian market and contractual manufacturing.
When we consider how ammunition is handled within the U.S. military, the idea of significant quantities of .50-caliber rounds simply vanishing from training exercises or storage is highly improbable. The accountability for ammunition, especially for high-caliber rounds, is exceptionally strict. Personnel are often required to meticulously account for every round and expended casing. I’ve personally seen instances where soldiers had to scour desert landscapes under harsh conditions to locate spent casings, underscoring the rigor of this process. Failure to achieve 100% accountability necessitates extensive investigations that can reach the highest levels of command. Therefore, any suggestion that cartels are obtaining large amounts of .50-caliber ammunition through direct theft from U.S. Army units during training is unlikely to be the primary source.
The key to understanding this situation lies in the operations of facilities like the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant. While it is a U.S. Army plant, it’s operated by contractors, and these contractors are authorized to sell excess production not directly requisitioned by the Army. This means that a substantial amount of ammunition, including .50-caliber rounds, is legally manufactured at this plant and then enters the civilian market. This is not unique to .50-caliber; similar practices apply to other NATO-standard rounds.
The .50-caliber round, while powerful and not typically used for hunting, is readily available for purchase on the civilian market in the United States. Many U.S. companies legally acquire ammunition from these plants and then sell it to the public. Given that Mexico doesn’t possess numerous large-caliber ammunition factories, and the sheer volume of .50-caliber ammunition produced in the U.S. by entities like Lake City, it’s logical that a significant portion of any .50-caliber ammunition found anywhere would have originated from these U.S. sources, including surplus sales. The assertion that it’s coming directly from the U.S. military, therefore, can be considered disingenuous if it ignores the civilian market.
The process by which this ammunition likely reaches criminal organizations often involves legal purchases on the U.S. civilian market followed by smuggling into Mexico. This is commonly referred to as “straw purchasing,” where individuals legally acquire firearms and ammunition and then provide them to criminal groups. This method circumvents the direct theft from military inventories, which, as mentioned, is heavily scrutinized and difficult to execute on a large scale without detection.
Furthermore, the U.S. military has reduced the direct sale of complete surplus ammunition to civilians in recent years. Instead, they often sell surplus components like bullets, brass, primers, and powder. Companies then purchase these components and manufacture ammunition to military specifications, which further fuels the civilian market. This makes it even more likely that the ammunition in question, even if bearing military-spec markings or originating from facilities like Lake City, was acquired through legitimate civilian channels.
It’s also important to consider that the U.S. government itself sells .50-caliber ammunition to allied nations, including the Mexican government. This presents another potential avenue for diversion, where corrupt officials within the Mexican military or law enforcement could be responsible for funneling this ammunition to cartels. While not a direct U.S. military theft, it highlights a potential breakdown in the supply chain once the ammunition leaves U.S. control.
The idea that ammunition is “freely sold” to the public is also a contributing factor. When powerful weapons and ammunition are legally accessible to civilians, there is an inherent risk that they can also be acquired by those with illicit intentions. This is a recurring debate in firearm control discussions, and the seizure of this ammunition underscores the potential consequences of widespread civilian access to military-grade weaponry.
Ultimately, while the headline points to a U.S. Army plant, the more plausible scenario involves ammunition legally manufactured at that plant but sold into the civilian market, where it is then acquired through straw purchases and smuggled into Mexico. The stringent accounting within the U.S. military makes direct theft of such quantities highly improbable, shifting the focus to the broader implications of commercial production and civilian access to powerful ammunition.