Mexico Buys Back More Than 14,000 Guns for Cash
MEXICO · POLITICS
Key Facts
- The country Mexico borders the United States and anchors North American trade.
- The program Sí al Desarme, Sí a la Paz pays cash anonymously.
- What happened More than 14,000 firearms were handed in for cash.
- Who leads it The Interior Ministry runs the drive with the army.
- What it means Most guns seized in Mexico are trafficked from the United States.
Mexico says more than 14,000 firearms have been surrendered for cash under a nationwide buyback that keeps donors anonymous. The announcement matters for Americans because most guns used in Mexican crime are trafficked north from the United States.
Mexico’s federal government reported on Tuesday, 13 October that its voluntary gun buyback has now taken in more than 14,000 firearms. The figure was given at the presidential morning news conference in Mexico City by the Interior Ministry.
The program is called Sí al Desarme, Sí a la Paz, which means yes to disarmament, yes to peace. Residents hand in weapons with no questions asked and receive cash in return.
How the Gun Buyback Works
The Interior Ministry, known in Spanish as the Secretaría de Gobernación, runs the scheme with the army and the Catholic Church. Collection booths are set up in church courtyards, where people drop off guns, ammunition and even grenades.
Officials say the payments are meant to make it easy and safe to remove a weapon from the home. Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodríguez urged families to take part, calling giving up a gun a lifesaving decision.
Participants hand the weapon over at a collection booth and are paid in cash. The identities of those who take part are not recorded, which is meant to encourage turnout.
Why Mexico Is Trying to Disarm Homes
The buyback is part of a wider security strategy that President Claudia Sheinbaum describes as addressing the causes of crime. Her government pairs the drive with youth programs in the municipalities with the most crime.
Mexico tightly restricts gun ownership and runs only one legal gun shop, which the army controls. Despite that, illegal weapons remain widespread, which is the problem the buyback is meant to tackle.
A Running Tally Since 2024
The ministry’s tally runs from October 2024, the start of Sheinbaum’s six-year term. In early July it put the total at 11,679 weapons, so the count has risen by more than 2,000 since.
The totals the ministry reports are cumulative, covering the whole country since the launch. That makes direct month-to-month comparisons hard without a detailed official breakdown.
Children have also swapped thousands of war toys for educational toys under the same campaign. The weapons collected are later destroyed by the army to keep them out of circulation.
What It Means for US Readers
Most firearms recovered at crime scenes in Mexico are traced back to the United States. The US Government Accountability Office has put that share at around 70 percent of traced guns.
That makes gun trafficking a recurring issue in talks between Washington and Mexico City. Mexico even sued American gunmakers, though the US Supreme Court ruled in 2025 that the suit could not proceed.
For American travelers, the buyback is one visible piece of a broader push to lower violence. Investors watching Mexican assets also read such security moves as a signal of government priorities.
What Is Not Known
The government did not publish a full price list showing how much cash each type of weapon earns. It also gave no regional breakdown for the latest total in the material released publicly.
Most outlets reported more than 14,000 guns, while one news agency gave a more precise count. That exact figure could not be checked against an official document and is left out here.
What Comes Next
The buyback runs on a rolling basis, so the national tally is likely to keep rising through the year. A higher count does not by itself prove that gun crime is falling, which depends on many other factors.
Further collection drives in church courtyards are likely as the count keeps rising. No end date for the program appeared in the material released publicly on Tuesday.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Mexico’s Gun Buyback Program?
It is a voluntary scheme that pays residents cash to hand in firearms, ammunition and grenades. People can take part anonymously and face no investigation for giving up a weapon.
How Many Guns Have Been Collected?
The Interior Ministry says more than 14,000 firearms have been turned in since the program began. The figure was announced at the presidential news conference on Tuesday, 13 October.
Who Runs the Program?
Mexico’s Interior Ministry leads it, working with the armed forces and the Catholic Church. The army destroys the weapons once they are collected.
Why Does This Matter to the United States?
Most guns used in Mexican crime are trafficked from the United States, so the flow is a shared problem. The buyback addresses weapons already in Mexico rather than the cross-border supply.
Is Owning a Gun Legal in Mexico?
Yes, but the rules are strict and there is only one legal gun shop, which the army operates. Most weapons in circulation are illegal, which is what the buyback aims to reduce.
Sources: Zócalo; La Jornada San Luis; El Financiero; El Heraldo de México (all accessed Tuesday, 13 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief