A multi-agency law enforcement team in Phoenix had an early start this morning, when their task force arrested 20 defendants out of a 53-count indictment.

The indictment states that from about September 2009 to December of 2010, the defendants conspired to purchase hundreds of firearms to be illegally exported to Mexico.

“Our office is committed to stopping the illegal flow of guns into Mexico,” said Dennis K. Burke, U.S. attorney for the district of Arizona in a statement. “The massive size of this operation sadly exemplifies the magnitude of the problem — Mexican Drug Lords go shopping for war weapons in Arizona.”

The Justice Department is trying to crack down on the gun trafficking across the Southwest Border. There have been reports of parallel cases, another 14 people have been charged with gun-trafficking crimes. The defendants are pending trial.

Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Phoenix Field Division, Bill Newell said, “This investigation is further proof of the relentless efforts by Mexican drug cartels, especially the Sinaloa Cartel, to illegally acquire large quantities of firearms in Arizona and elsewhere in the U.S. for use in the ongoing Mexican drug war.”

A program known as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) has been put into place, The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. This task will hopefully combat the Mexican Cartels and all of the associated violence, firearms trafficking, money laundering and corruption.

If you ever wished you could mount a shotgun on a zebra-painted vehicle, slide around corners and hit jumps at break-neck speed, Microsoft’s "Scrap Metal" is for you.

Last week, Microsoft kicked off what it’s calling a month-long Block Party in which every Tuesday in March sees the release of a downloadable title. "Toy Soldiers," a unique tower-defense game kicked things off, next week is the hotly-hyped "Perfect Dark," but today it’s all about "Scrap Metal," a racing game with a twist.

It’s not Mario Kart or Forza. It’s not even a hybrid of the two. It’s in its own league.

As much fun as a top-down racer can be.

"Scrap Metal" is first and foremost a top-down racer. You aren’t behind the wheel and it’s not first-person. The game plays like you’re controlling a remote control car, but with heavy firepower. This mechanic works extremely well and a camera system that effectively adjusts (and never hangs up), helps the experience stay smooth and keep frustration at bay.

Guns, guns, guns.

In "Scrap Metal" you do more than race for the fastest time; you barrage you enemies with a host of weaponry to make damn sure you finish before they do. Each car you unlock has its own special weapon. They range from a can-opener, machine-gun, shotgun, missile launcher and more and each is exciting, though you’ll enjoy more than others, in their own right. What’s more, when zipping around a course, you’ll encounter health packs, additional weapons and nitro to pick up. These powerups are integral to your success and should be a priority when racing around.

Variance keeps it fresh

"Scrap Metal" is a racer and a demolition derby game, but it’s also more. While the game has plenty of straight-up racing missions and violent derby sequences, it also has unique tasks like VIP challenges. In these missions you must fend off a host of combatants aiming to destroy your "VIP," a truck filled with explosives. There are also "Target" missions in which you must race an entire fleet of cars but seek out and destroy one in particular. Additionally, the game progresses though unlocking different arenas to the tune of 60 single player missions and many boss battles. Needless to say, if you don’t like the course or game type you’re on, you have ample opportunity to mix it up.

Ease of controls

Like any good arcade racer, "Scrap Metal" has very intuitive and simple control mechanics, but as Mario Kart has taught us, honing these "basic" controls takes time to perfect. You have two options of control in "Scrap Metal;" Remote Control and Directional. The former allows control similar to an RC car where one button is assigned for gas, brakes and steering. The latter simply uses two buttons. You press the directional pad for direction and another for braking. These controls, coupled with the top-down view, are a tad disorienting at first, but definitely come into their own with time and effort.

Multiplayer works like a charm

Call me a traditionalist, but I think there’s nothing better than getting together with friends and playing the same game on the same screen and "Scrap Metal" shines in this department. Game-types like King of the Hill, the always brutal and hilariously fun Demolition Derby and Survivor, a mode where you must escape (survivor) waves of armored police and helicopters, extend the value of the game significantly and can be played both locally and over Xbox Live.

Blast Factor

At $15, it’s difficult to say you need to check out this title, but for those looking for a quick and violent racer with a bumping soundtracks, "Scrap Metal" is right up your alley. Engaging single-player, based on unlocking cars and weapons and upgrading those weapons, becomes addictive and putting this title down won’t be easy.

Look for our interview with developers Slick Entertainment later in the week and our review of "Perfect Dark" this time next week.

Scrap Metal was released on the Xbox Live Arcade March, 10 and retails for 1200 MS Points ($15). A copy of the game was provided to us for review purposes.

Tanks in Left 4 Dead 2 are a mean bunch. They’re huge, bullet-taking behemoths, that never go down easy.

Thankfully, Steam Forum user Urik created this comprehensive weapon effectiveness breakdown chart, displaying relevant and helpful information in the slaying of these brutes.

Note, the chart is set for the Expert difficulty.

Well, there you have it. Melee weapons are where it’s at. Now, grow a pair and charge these storming chargers and spill the blood, the way you know you can.

Here at Blast, we often lament how the future seems, well, not very futuristic. But just as soon as we might give up hope, we find a story like this one, about laser beam weapons. What could possibly be any cooler?

Shooting from a plane in the sky at Kirtland Air Force base at the White Sands Missile Range in, this was the first time the laser had been switched on with the intent of casing damage. And damage it caused, as evidenced by the video the Air Force released of the weapon in action.

The weapon was developed by Boeing for the military to use in dense urban environments, where highly targeted weapons are valued to minimize collateral damage. “This milestone demonstrates that directed energy weapon systems will transform the battlespace and save lives by giving war fighters a speed-of-light, ultra-precision engagement capability that will dramatically reduce collateral damage,” said Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems.

Even though it may appear that this is the Air Force preparing for a battle with Megatron, the weapon, along with a similar sibling laser to be mounted on a 747 as a missile defense system, still have more testing to undergo before they’ll be completely combat ready.

Thanks Nichole!