According to new data released on Thursday by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, over a five-year period, more than 68,000 illegally trafficked firearms in the U.S. were traced back to unlicensed dealers who are not obligated to conduct background checks.
According to officials from the Justice Department, these firearms account for 54% of the illegally trafficked weapons in the U.S. from 2017 to 2021. These guns were involved in 368 shooting cases, making it more challenging for investigators to trace them back to the original buyer due to the lack of sales records kept by unlicensed dealers. Steve Dettelbach, the director of the ATF, highlighted this issue.
“The data clearly demonstrates that individuals who engage in the illegal trafficking of firearms, whether it be through the sale from a vehicle, at a gun show, or online, bear direct responsibility for the actual acts of violence occurring in our country,” emphasized Dettelbach. He further emphasized, “In essence, one cannot illegally contribute to the arming of individuals prone to violence and evade accountability for the subsequent acts of violence that ensue.”
The report reveals that, on average, 16 guns were trafficked per case. Interestingly, individuals who obtained firearms through unlicensed dealers purchased an average of 20 weapons, while straw buyers acquired 11 guns, as stated in the report.
The Biden administration has put forward a rule that aims to broaden the requirements for gun sellers to obtain licenses and conduct background checks. According to the Justice Department, the rule specifically targets sellers engaged in regular firearm sales. However, this proposal has faced opposition from gun-rights organizations, who argue that it may inadvertently affect individuals who occasionally sell their own guns.
The proposed regulation, which is still in the process of being finalized, is expected to impact a significant number of sellers, ranging from 24,500 to 328,000. According to the report, the ATF conducted investigations on 3,400 unlicensed dealers over a span of five years.
