Gunshop owner on fight against cartels
The drug wars in Mexico reached another grim milestone this week as the number of murders in the border city of Juarez passed 3,000 for this year.
The Obama administration has described the violent cross-border drugs trade as "the greatest organised crime threat to the United States".
Most of the guns used by the Mexican cartels originate in the US, where firearms laws are more relaxed.
Jim Pruett's guns and ammunition store in Houston, Texas, was recently robbed by a gang, possibly working for the cartels or looking to supply them.
Mr Pruett showed the BBC's Steve Kingstone the kinds of guns the thieves took - and why he believes the US should take the issue seriously.
17 Dec 2010
- From the section US & Canada