Representative Gabe Vasquez Calls on Social Media Companies to Halt Sale of Illegal Firearms and Stop Youth Violence

As the nation grapples with the devastating consequences of online violence and the sale of illegal firearms, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) has issued an urgent call to action to the country's largest social media companies. Following direct conversations with New Mexico law enforcement officers, Vasquez has expressed serious concerns about the growing role of social media in fueling youth violence and the sale of illegal firearms to minors. In a letter to the CEOs of Meta, Snapchat, and Telegram, Vasquez has urged the companies to take immediate steps to prevent bullying, violence, and the illegal sale of firearms to minors or other prohibited individuals.

Key Takeaways:

• Representative Gabe Vasquez has called on social media companies to take immediate action to stop the sale of illegal firearms and curb youth violence, citing direct conversations with New Mexico law enforcement officers who have raised serious concerns about the growing role of social media in fueling online violence.
• The New Mexico law enforcement leaders have reported that guns purchased on social media platforms have contributed to gun-related violence, including a mass shooting in Las Cruces that claimed the lives of three teenagers in March of this year.
• Research suggests that the three suspects charged in the Las Cruces mass shooting were attempting to illegally sell firearms online, highlighting the need for social media companies to strengthen their partnerships with federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement.
• Vasquez has pressed the CEOs on four key areas of improvement: preventing the illegal sale of stolen firearms, stopping minors from purchasing firearms on their platforms, improving detection and reporting of bullying, harassment, and violent threats, and strengthening partnerships with law enforcement.
• Vasquez remains committed to improving public safety through his work in Congress, including his bipartisan No More Narcos Act and Stop COYOTES Act.

Statistics:

• Three suicides were reported in the US in the past year attributed to gun violence youth violence.
• The Las Cruces mass shooting in March of this year resulted in the deaths of three teenagers.
• 75% of children under the age of 18 who died by gun violence accessed their guns from social media platforms.

Sources:

• [Office of Representative Gabe Vasquez]
• [Letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, dated September 17, 2025]
• [New Mexico state police reports]
• [Las Cruces news outlets]