Mar. 25, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic

"Keeping the finger in the dike." That's how one Tucson cop described fighting the violence Mexican cartels bring to Arizona.

Arizona law enforcement is trying to hold back a red flood of lawlessness that is washing over Mexico, where more than 6,000 people died in cartel violence last year.

But law enforcement needs help.

Just as U.S. demand for labor and illicit drugs enriches Mexico's crime syndicates, weapons purchased from U.S. gun dealers provide these gangsters with a high-powered arsenal. An estimated 90 to 95 percent of the drug-related killings in Mexico are committed with weapons that were obtained in the United States.

An attempt to act on that ugly reality suffered a setback last week when Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Robert Gottsfield dismissed 21 counts against the owner of X-Caliber Guns. George Iknadosian was accused of knowingly selling hundreds of AK-47 assault weapons and other guns to straw buyers who delivered them to Mexico.

Attorney General Terry Goddard is examining the court record for "judicial error." He says similar cases would be much easier to win if Arizona lawmakers approved a bill aimed at fraudulent transactions to obtain weapons.

"This is not about the Second Amendment," Goddard says of HB 2484. "This is about the illegal transfer of weapons."

In the X-Caliber case, a task force of local police and state and federal agencies worked for 11 months to build evidence that included information from Mexican authorities. Guns used to kill Mexican federal officers were traced to the gun dealer. Law-enforcement officials said Iknadosian coached undercover agents on how to fill out paperwork to disguise the purpose of gun purchases.

This isn't just Mexico's problem. The cartels' U.S.-bought weapons can return to Arizona in the hands of smugglers who intimidate, kidnap and kill. The cops who put their lives on the line to fight the cartels know they can't win this alone. Lawmakers need to help them out by passing the so-called "straw man" legislation.

But Arizona can't do this alone, either.

So, we welcome President Barack Obama's commitment to improve relations with Mexico and launch a crackdown on weapons and cash moving south from the United States…

The federal effort to help Mexican President Felipe Calderón triumph over the cartels is serving U.S. security and economic interests.

The state effort to help cops and prosecutors to go after those who are sending weapons to Mexico is serving the best interests of law and order in Arizona.