EL PASO, Tx. -- Despite strict gun-control laws in Mexico, crime scenes in that country are riddled with bullet holes. Both drug cartels and common criminals have no trouble getting guns. The spike in violent crime has more private citizens in Mexico quietly arming themselves for protection.
At a firing range in far West Texas, Rogelio Bravo practices his shot.
The El Paso private investigator, known to his friends as "Chief", has also worked cases just across the border in Juarez - now, Mexico's murder capital.
Chief says people are desperate, and they are telling the government: If you can't protect us, then let us protect ourselves.
Gun battles in the streets, bullet-strewn crime scenes, and confiscated weapons are evidence there is no shortage of guns in Mexico.
Federal police recently discovered a well-stocked arsenal in a Juarez home, hidden behind a mirror in a gym. The owner had a poster of the movie drug lord "Scarface" played by Al Pacino.
But what about private citizens. Can they own a gun?
"Regular citizens? No, they can't. They only can defend themselves with hands," says a Juarez cab driver.
Bare hands, not bullets, are their only defense.
He echoes the widely-held belief that guns are banned in Mexico. But, that's not true.
"The Mexican constitution allows people to possess firearms, but over the years they've passed so many requirements and laws and restrictions that it's basically almost impossible," says John Hubert.
John and Kathy Hubert are certified firearms instructors in El Paso. They are knowledgeable about gun laws on both sides of the border.
"The purpose of this class is to safely and effectively use a handgun to protect yourself or the people you care about," says Hubert.
Over the years, they have trained a few licensed gun owners in Texas who are dual citizens and own property in Mexico.
"These people did have a ranch and they had guns and they were doing it for protection," says Kathy Hubert.
The deteriorating security situation in Mexico has many people secretly arming themselves against criminals, even if it means breaking the law - and possible jail time.
There are many gun owners in Juarez and in rural areas of the State of Chihuahua. But the issue is so sensitive, even those who had registered weapons would not talk about their guns on camera.
By law, registered gun-owners in Mexico must register their weapons with the military, which is also the only authorized gun dealer.
Anything above 22-caliber is restricted to military use in Mexico, including the gun fired by the private investigator at target practice in El Paso.
He and others say as violent crime escalates in Mexico, so will the incentive for people who fear for their lives to ignore the law.
