Calderon challenges US to end gun trafficking, drug dependence

May 20, 2010, 16:47 GMT

Washington - Mexican President Felipe Calderon said assault rifles coming from the United States were fuelling the violence in his country and called on US lawmakers to stem the flow of guns across the border.

In a speech to a joint session of the US Congress, Calderon also said it was up to the US to reduce its dependence on illegal drugs, as Mexico is engaged in a war against rampant organized crime and drug trafficking.

'We cannot ignore the fact that the challenge to our security has roots on both sides of the border,' Calderon told lawmakers.

Calderon called on Congress to reinstate a ban on assault rifles that was lifted in 2004. He argued the lifting of the US ban directly 'coincided' with the rise in violence in Mexico.

'Let us work together to end this lethal trade that threatens Mexico and your own people,' Calderon said.

The drug war in Mexico has claimed thousands of lives as the country's military has fought to restore order along its border regions with the US.

US President Barack Obama, who met with Calderon Wednesday, promised to continue finding ways to cut back on the demand for illicit drugs and step up inspections of railways into Mexico to prevent arms from ending up in the hands of the cartels.