Last year alone, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Fire Arms and Explosives confiscated around 500 guns from the streets of San Diego.
On Monday, agents gave the public a glance at the automatic and semi-automatic weapons they're up against.
"These types of weapons here are the weapons of choice for the cartels," said agent Shawn Hoben, showing off an M4.
Among the weapons demonstrated at the San Diego Regional Firearms Training Center were the 600-rounds-a-minute Thompson machine gun, shotguns, AK-47's and a PS90.
Agents demonstrated Monday how much damage the weapons can do, firing a shotgun into body armor to show the huge dent one shell creates. Agents also showed how bullets fired by an AK-47 will travel through both sides of standard bullet proof vests.
"Most of these guns were seized on the streets; most here in San Diego, a lot are firearms very similar to those being trafficked down to Mexico," Hoben said.
Agents said they have had their hands full during the past year especially with so many traffickers coming through San Diego trying to make money in Mexico.
