Weapons dealers in the south-west US will be required to report large sales of some semi-automatic firearms to help stem the flow of weapons into Mexico.
Under a new US government rule, authorities must be contacted when more than two semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines are purchased.The weapons are reportedly sought after by drug-trafficking organisations operating inside Mexico.
The rule will affect dealers in Texas, California, Arizona and New Mexico.
The regulation will require dealers to contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) if one individual purchases more than two semi-automatic rifles, within a five-day period, that accept detachable magazines and use ammunition larger than .22 caliber.
The ATF first unveiled its proposal for the new rule in December 2010.
"The international expansion and increased violence of transnational criminal networks pose a significant threat to the United States," Deputy Attorney General James Cole
Mr Cole said the weapons targeted by the regulations are "highly sought-after by dangerous drug trafficking organisations and frequently recovered at violent crime scenes near the south-west border".
He added that the new rules would help authorities "detect and disrupt the illegal weapons trafficking networks responsible for diverting firearms from lawful commerce to criminals and criminal organisations".
Meanwhile, the the National Rifle Association the Obama administration over the new regulation.
"They don't have the statutory authority to do it, and we'll file a lawsuit as soon as the first letters are sent" demanding the sales information from dealers, the NRA's legislative director Chris Cox told Politico.
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