"Ghost Gunners" of Guadalajara may have supplied weapons used in murder of Jalisco federal deputy

Mexican drug cartels take advantage of controversial U.S. firearms technology

Guadalajara -
The receiver of a weapon is that portion which houses operating parts such as the trigger mechanism, converting it into a usable firearm. Without a receiver, neither a handgun nor a long gun can discharge a projectile.

Under American law the receiver for all practical purposes is the firearm itself, as opposed to other components such as the barrel, stock or hand grip. Any weapon manufactured and sold commercially in the United States, or lawfully imported from another country, must contain a serial number on the receiver. But it is not illegal in the U.S. to home manufacture a weapon, including a receiver which has no identification. The process is easy and relatively cheap, and may already have been adopted by organized crime in Mexico's second largest city and in neighboring Michoacán state to avoid firearms tracking, according to authorities here.

Jalisco's chief prosecutor Luis Carlos Nájera - himself under fire as the state's atrocious security record in recent months has attracted attention at the highest levels - said yesterday that AR-15 assault rifles seized last weekend when four suspects were arrested in connection with the Sept. 22 kidnapping and execution of Jalisco's federal congressman, contained numberless lower receivers, the key component of a weapon which, along with the AK-47, is stock issue in Mexico's drug war.

The weapons have been sent to federal investigators in Mexico City for further analysis, said Nájera, who indicated they appear to have been mass produced in local workshops.

The Ghost Gunner. The receivers it produces are cheap, untraceable and completely legal.

An Austin, Texas company called Defense Distributed (DD) sells a $1,300 machine which utilizes a software controlled milling technology to stamp or "print" a completely untraceable lower receiver for the AR-15, all in the convenience of one's home. It is important to note that DD does not sell the receiver itself - just the fabricating device and appropriate instructions easily downloaded from its website. The remaining parts needed to assemble a fully functional assault weapon are readily, and lawfully, available. DD markets the machine as the Ghost Gunner. It's sold out due to heavy demand, but new supplies are expected in time for Christmas delivery, the DD website says.

Oct. 13, 2014 - AK-47, AR-15 are Mexican drug cartels' weapons of choice

Dec. 16, 2012 - El País asks, "¿Quién desarma a EE UU?" - Who will disarm the United States?
Feb. 16, 2012 - "Dear friends in the United States - please, no more assault weapons to Mexico"



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