Based on previous ATF behavior, *somebody* is going to get promoted over this...
Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.
Posted on 12/10/2010 6:38:53 AM PST by marktwain
As we reported previously, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recently hit up Uncle Sam for $81.3 million to fund Project Gunrunner. That’s the program the ATF created to stem the mythical (if politically correct) “iron river” of illegal guns flowing from the U.S. to Mexican drug cartels. I repeat: $81.3 million. This year. On top of the agency’s “normal” $1 billion plus annual budget. So far, so bad. The Office of Inspector General had a look and tore the ATF a new one, excoriating Project Gunrunner for its ineffectiveness and inefficiency. That was then (last month). This is now. And now the ATF is crowing about nabbing five—count ‘em five—gun runners. And indicting four others. Here’s the list . . .
Oswaldo Ramirez, 29, of Lakewood, an illegal alien who allegedly arranged and was present at most of the firearms transactions;
Victor Huerta, 20, of Paramount, who allegedly participated in several of the gun transactions;
Ernesto Figueroa Chavez, 21, of La Puente, an illegal alien who allegedly supplied the gun in three transactions prior to being deported to Mexico in October;
Robert Francis Evangelista, 32, of Montebello, who was allegedly involved in seven firearms transactions;
Sergio Herrera, 30, of South Gate, who allegedly sold one firearm
Ivan Reyes, 34, who is a fugitive currently being sought by authorities for allegedly selling one firearm and being involved in a narcotics transaction;
Robert Michael Roybal, 23, of El Sereno, who allegedly was involved in two firearms transactions and is currently in state custody;
Ramon Lopez, 33, of South Los Angeles, who allegedly was involved in one gun transaction and is currently in state custody; and a ninth defendant who is charged with participating in one gun transaction and is the subject of an ongoing investigation into his identity
As our headline proclaims, I make that sixteen guns. Or around $5m per gun, if we’re talking about the Project Gunrunner funding. That said, I’ve got plenty of questions for the ATF (I’ve left messages, check back for an update). Such as . . .
1. Was this a sting? Did the ATF “lure” these buyers into an illegal transaction?
2. Are these “straw purchase” related busts? In other words, did the defendants purchase the weapons from federally licensed gun dealers or on the black market?
3. Where were the guns headed? TTAG has long maintained that the so-called “iron river” supplies otherwise law-abiding Mexicans with firearms to defend themselves against the drug cartels and their corrupt allies in the police, national guard and army.
4. Does the ATF ever nail anyone on their own?
Meanwhile, we’ve also noted that the ATF seems to use reward money in a large number of cases (click here for today’s example). Is that a good thing or a bad thing, and does that money come out of a separate budget?
SIXTEEN.
What a waste of Fed. We have a serious Fed shortage. Children go to bed without enough Fed, and these guys are wasting all that good Fed.
What a serious waste of money. I am sure the BATFE calls it a rousing success too
16 guns? I thought all of these stories kept telling about the hundreds of guns coming from the US and going south into Mexico. Apparently that didn’t happen.
2 to 1 the “guns” all had a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time.
Looks like someone should be fired, in private business such a miserable performance would have them locking the doors.
“Chavez-supplied the gun in three transactions...
Evangelista-was involved in seven transactions...
Herrera-sold one firearm...
Reyes-sold one firearm...
Roybal-was involved in two transactions...
Lopez-was involved in one transaction...
Man #9-participated in one transaction...”
-
Using logic, this could be as many as 16 weapons or as few as 7.
Gee, is there any commonality in that list of names?
The ATF is easily one of the single most worthless and corrupt fed agencies ever created.
You load sixteen guns, and what do you get -
Another day older and ...
Most of the upper class Mexicans have substantial caches of automatic weapons and they laugh at our puny semi-automatic rifles.
From what I have been told, everyone in Mexico has a relative who can get hold of automatic weapons in bulk.
...deeper in debt.
My grandfather started working in a coal mine when he was 12. He told me they worked 7 days a week but only half a day on Sunday.
Those weren’t the days...
$18.3m / 16 = $1,143,750 per gun
...You know what, if you give me $1,143,750 I’m *sure* I could get more than 16 guns.
For a million buckadingdongs I’ll sell them one of mine. Heck, I’ll cut ‘em a deal - I’ll sell ‘em two.
Based on previous ATF behavior, *somebody* is going to get promoted over this...
...You know what, if you give me $1,143,750 I’m *sure* I could get more than 16 guns.
It was $81.3 / 16 (even worse)
...ouch.
Unfortunately, you transposed a couple of digits. The cost is $81.3 million, or $5,081,250/gun.
Yeah, that was pointed out to me... however my observation still stands: I can get ahold of more than 16 guns for $1.1m.
The $5mil/gun is even MORE ridiculous.
It certainly does stand. It is easy to transpose a digit.
The only people who never make a mistake are those who never do anything.
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