MEXICO CITY, March 26 The Obama administration wants to crack down on the sale of assault weapons that are arming Mexican drug cartels, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an interview with NBC television.

Clinton late on Wednesday called letting a previous US ban on the sale of assault weapons expire “a mistake.” “I think these assault weapons, these military style weapons, don`t belong on anyone`s street,” said Clinton who pushed for the ban as a New York senator.

“During the time period from 1994 to 2004, when the ban was in effect, our police in America were able to drive crime down because they didn`t have to worry about these assault weapons getting into the hands of criminals and gang members,” the chief US diplomat said.

“So we will make the case that we need to put more teeth in the law, try to prohibit the sale outside of our borders of these guns,” Clinton said.

But, she acknowledged, a move to renew the ban would draw strong opposition.

“We`re going to talk to the Congress, I`m not going to sugar coat it. It`s a very heavy lift,” Clinton said.

On the plane to Mexico City, Clinton said drug gangs were “outgunning” Mexican law enforcement with military-style equipment that also included night-vision goggles and body armour.

During her first day on Wednesday, Clinton vowed that the United States would stand by Mexico in its fight against drug cartels and said the United States shared blame for the deadly unrest.

“The criminals and kingpins spreading violence are trying to corrode the foundations of law, order, friendship and trust between us and that support our continent,” Clinton told a press conference.

“They will fail,” added Clinton, standing next to her Mexican counterpart Patricia Espinosa.—AFP