Most people know it as the AR-15 rifle, but many identify it as the weapon used by drug cartels in Mexico. Bullets from the AR-15 have killed five people from Texas in recent years; 20 children from a Connecticut elementary school; 49 in Florida. In Mexico, it is used by cartels such as the Familia Michoacana, the Sinaloa Cartel, and the Jalisco New Generation. Without a special license or training: This is how an AR-15 is acquired. The AR-15 costs about 900 dollars and can be purchased in the United States, even online. It is not easy to use, so it requires prior training. Each magazine holds up to 30 bullets that can be fired in less than a minute. The AR-15 was manufactured in 1957 by ArmaLite, but the U.S. Army discarded it, considering it too light. With it, Osmer H., 15, killed two teachers at a high school in Lázaro Cárdenas, Michoacán. It was only the latest violent episode in which this semi-automatic weapon has been used to murder people. The AR-15 is a popular rifle in the United States used in war. Its easy access has made it the rifle of choice for those who commit massacres. However, in Mexico, the rifle is prohibited for civilian use, reserved exclusively for the Navy, the Army, and the Air Force. They describe it as "reliable, maneuverable, and precise." The rifle allows targets to be hit at a distance of up to 600 meters. In 1965, it began to be used in Vietnam, then in Iraq and Afghanistan. The precision of the AR-15 has been lethal many times in recent history. The buyer does not need a license or permit.
AR-15: The Rifle Behind Massacres and Cartel Violence
The AR-15 is a semi-automatic rifle that has become a symbol of mass shootings in the US and the primary weapon of Mexican drug cartels. Its accessibility, power, and precision have made it the weapon of choice for criminals and terrorists.
