Mexican police are “overwhelmed” by drug cartels due to their use of weapons and ammunition made for the U.S. military, the New York Times (NYT) reported.

Drug traffickers use .50 caliber ammunition —produced in a plant owned by the U.S. military and then smuggled across the border— in attacks against Mexican civilians and police officers, the newspaper noted, while highlighting one particular incident.

On the morning of November 30, 2019, a convoy of trucks with armed men carrying a heavy and powerful machine gun, and .50 caliber rifles entered the city of Villa Unión, Coahuila, and opened fire.

They had been sent on a mission of intimidation: they planned to set fire to the town hall. Their firepower was clearly superior to that of the state and local police officers, who were awaiting military reinforcements. Terrified residents fled for cover from the hail of bullets.

“The smell of smoke filled the streets, and spent shell casings covered the ground like fallen leaves,” Luis Manzano, a Mexican journalist who drove to the city during the shootout, told the US media outlet. But his most vivid memory was the thunder of the cannons.

“The ground was shaking,” he said, “as they were shooting. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”

When the military arrived, they drove the attackers away. The attack resulted in the deaths of four police officers, two civilians, and 19 cartel members.

Investigators who collected evidence from the scene gathered .45 and .50 caliber shell casings with the initials "LC," which are the initials of the U.S. Army munitions plant in Lake City, outside Kansas City, owned by the federal government and the largest manufacturer of rifle cartridges used by Pentagon personnel.

The factory also supplies ammunition to American consumers, including .50 caliber cartridges. These powerful bullets—about the size of a medium-sized cigar and designed for military use to destroy vehicles and light aircraft—are available for purchase by civilians across the United States, the NYT reported.