There's also the little question of what Mexican authorities would do with the information once they obtain it. Send strike teams into the US to take out sources identified by their traces? Or are US authorities supposed to go after dealers or purchasers based solely on assertions of involvement by Mexican officials? Perhaps it's to allow Mexican officials to offer the sources an opportunity to pay a little "mordita" rather than report them to US authorities.

Or tell Mexican officials which car to search in hopes of putting a gringo in jail for decades for having a loose round of .22lr in the trunk.

If the law is to be followed, I don't think that the US government can or should share the dealer information directly with the Mexican government. In any case, it is likely that the dealer followed the law.

Perhaps the information will trigger an ATFE investigation that starts with the dealer and followed the chain of ownership?

Ultimately of course, the Mexicans would be more successful if they reformed their corrupt government in which it is hard to tell the difference between law enforcement, the military and drug dealers.

Strange, I thought Congress had prohibited the establishment of a database of all gun sales...

If they can walk in and use the console unsupervised we would have no idea what they were looking at...that's why the email idea was a non starter...we would know what the inquiry is about.

What gun registries? Aren't those forbidden government to do? Do we believe they didn't do it anyway?

Are you nuts? Of course we don't believe them.