What We Learned About American Teenagers Supplying Guns to Cartels
The network relies on encrypted messaging apps and legal private sales, and investigators say about one-third of identified traffickers were under 25.
- In Phoenix, a network of students from at least 20 high schools is supplying weapons to Mexican cartels through messaging apps. Known as the "Phoenix Boys," the group coordinates dozens of teenagers who acquire firearms through legal and illegal means.
- Motivated by money and status, these teenagers exploit messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal to source firearms. Arizona's private gun sale laws allow traffickers to bypass background checks, easing access.
- Traffickers often recruit 18-year-olds to make legal purchases, evading authorities. They also use counterfeit cash marked "FOR MOTION PICTURE PURPOSES" to buy firearms across Phoenix, a tactic common among Arizona-based traffickers.
- Mexican authorities estimate that as many as 500,000 firearms are smuggled from the United States into Mexico each year. These weapons fuel violent crimes, contributing to bloodshed that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
- A.J. Gibes, special agent in charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Phoenix field division, said "for the youth, sadly, this is an opportunity to make quick money." Investigators work to dismantle networks, though the trade's lucrative nature persists.
28 Articles
28 Articles
Some of the weapons are obtained through legal purchases, while others come from theft or illegal mechanisms
Trafficking Route: American Teenagers Pack Mexican Cartels With Weapons Bought and Stolen in the USA
They are too young to buy a beer and are barely old enough to drive, but these four teenagers have already found their way to the underworld of crime. On weekends, they drive to the Sonora Desert, on the outskirts of Phoenix, in the United States. They put AR-15 rifles and AK-style models next to cars, pose for photos and spend the afternoon shooting at targets. At night, they go to parties, smoke marijuana and spend hours on networks. Exclusive…
According to Washington officials and drug trafficking experts, young people get high-calibre guns and rifles and sell them almost exclusively to members of the U.S.-based cartels.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
