EL PASO, Texas -- As violence mounts between Mexican drug cartels, there is renewed support to stop the flow of guns into Mexico from the United States.

Rep. Silvestre Reyes told KFOX he has been working hard to stop the growing violence, as the bloody drug wars have claimed over 6,000 Mexicans last year, thousands of them in Juarez.

"I think it’s vitally important to our own national security to help Mexico and the Calderon administration address the drug cartels,” Reyes said. "People are concerned for the potential of spill over violence."

That growing fear coupled with economic hardships of both countries has renewed efforts to combat the U.S.’s contribution to the wars via Americans supplying thousands of guns to Mexican cartel members.

Statistics show nearly all of the guns recovered from cartels are traced to the United States. Most of them to border states, Texas being the biggest supplier.

There is some help on the way.

"We've been able to get over 50 additional agents from the ATF and we've included a provision in this year’s budget for more ATF agents to come to the U.S.-Mexico border to address this issue," Reyes said.

Also, the Mexican government is now working with the ATF to trace guns in Mexico, using a massive database to find the American supplier.

“Those people will be prosecuted, they will do time because they have violated federal firearms laws,” Reyes said.

The prosecutions have started as a registered gun dealer in Phoenix is being prosecuted for allegedly selling guns to those he knew were supplying them to cartels.

“Address the drug cartels and the criminal gangs that have pretty much enjoyed the run of the country,” Reyes said.