House Democrats propose ban on .50-caliber rifles

EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – Two members of Congress from Texas and one from Florida have filed a bill they say will cut down on drug cartel violence by banning .50-caliber rifles in America.

The Stop Arming Cartels Act of 2024 proposes banning the manufacture, sale, possession, importation or transfer of .50-caliber rifles by civilians in the United States. The legislation filed by Democratic U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro and Veronica Escobar of Texas, and Maxwell Frost of Florida would require anyone who possesses one such rifle prior to the bill going into effect to register it in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.

The bill also calls for victims of gun violence to be allowed to sue manufacturers and dealers who violate a federal statute known as the Kingpin Act. It establishes an exemption to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act that shields gunmakers from most lawsuits.

Other provisions include mandating gun dealers to report multiple sales of rifles to state and local law enforcement.

“When I speak to leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean, their number-one request is for Congress to stop American weapons of war from falling into the hands of the gangs that are destabilizing their countries,” Castro said in a statement. “Especially in Mexico, access to .50-caliber rifles has fundamentally altered the balance of power between criminal organizations and the government and allowed cartels to become virtually untouchable.”

He said cartels have used such rifles to down military helicopters and attack police convoys south of the border.

Escobar, who represents most of El Paso, said the bill will prevent bloodshed.

"The gun laws championed by Republican legislators in this country make Americans less safe. The consequences don't just impact our communities, but they also impact our neighbors in Latin America and around the world," Escobar said. "A refusal to act would mean continuing to arm transnational criminal organizations and cartels that purchase these weapons for illicit acts.

Mexico blames much of the violence inside its borders on U.S.-made guns imported illegally by transnational criminal organizations. The Mexican government is suing major American arms manufacturers in U.S. Federal District court in Massachusetts and a handful of gun shops in Arizona; it says those entities sell guns aware they will end up in the hands of Mexican criminals.

The rifles in question are mostly used by military forces. However, gun enthusiasts in the U.S. also use them and some businesses derive income from the sale of ammunition and tours. Shooting camps feature demonstrations on adequately firing the weapon. Some El Paso sporting goods stores feature .50-caliber rifle and ammunition sales on their websites.