By Associated Press  |   Saturday, February 14, 2009 

WASHINGTON — The stimulus bill Congress approved late Friday provides $10 million for the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Bureau to stop guns flowing from the U.S. to Mexico.

The $787 billion stimulus bill Democrats pushed through also provides money to build and renovate border ports of entry and for technology at the Southwest border. But it does not require contractors who receive stimulus money to participate in a program designed to make sure U.S. employees are working legally.

The money allotted to the ATF is designated for salaries and expenses of Project Gunrunner, which targets gun trafficking networks in the U.S. An estimated 90 percent of weapons seized in Mexico are from sources within the U.S., according to the ATF. Many of the weapons are found in drug-related crimes.

Mexico wants the U.S. to step up efforts aimed at curbing arms and weapons trafficking into Mexico to help it fight drug cartels that have been warring over diminishing drug supply routes.

"This additional funding hopefully will allow the ATF to hire new agents, but the principal benefit is in securing the border. Violence in Mexico is creeping across the border, there have been a few incidents and that certainly makes commerce and trade more difficult," said Jude McCartin, a spokeswoman for Sen. Jeff Bingaman.

Bingaman has sponsored measures to increase funding for ATF to fight gun trafficking. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez of Texas, has sponsored similar legislation in the House.

The ATF funds are part of $40 million in the bill for competitive grants to local law enforcement along the southern border and in high intensity drug trafficking areas to fight drug-related crime...