Posted on 03/09/2011 5:43:06 PM PST by neverdem
Undercover ATF photo shows display of high-powered weapons put out for suspected Mexican drug cartel gun buyers
A controversial operation in which U.S. agents were allegedly ordered not to intervene as American guns flowed to Mexican gangs may have been going on for many years, reports CBS News investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.
A photograph obtained by CBS News shows an astonishing display of high-powered weapons put up for suspected Mexican drug cartel gun buyers. It's a rare glimpse into ATF's controversial undercover operations.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allegedly let gun runners walk off with weapons - thousands of them - to see if they'd end up in the hands of the cartels. The Justice Department and ATF have denied it ever happened.
Special Agent John Dodson works in ATF's Phoenix office and has blown the whistle on the controversial strategy, known as letting guns "walk."
Agent: I was ordered to let U.S. guns into Mexico
Dodson believes there are other ATF operations going on that have done the same thing.
Multiple sources now tell CBS News the questionable tactics were used in more than one operation, and date back as far as 2008 in the Tucson area. One case was called "Wide Receiver."
AK47s vs. bean bags in border drug war
Sources tell CBS News licensed gun dealers often wanted no part of selling to suspicious characters who could be supplying the cartels.
But, sources say, ATF enlisted the gun dealers as paid Confidential Informants and encouraged them to sell even more.
"ATF has asked me to assist in an official investigation," reads one agreement.
Gun salesmen closed the deals, and ATF watched and listened with recording devices.
"ATF Special Agents conducted surveillance...and identified the dates and times that the conspirators... crossed the international border," says one court document.
Dodson argues that something that should never be done. "A lot people are going to get hurt with those firearms between the time we let them go and the time they're recovered again in a crime."
Sources tell CBS News these ATF operations involved about 450 weapons. Despite the risk, two years later the same strategy was expanded to include thousands of guns.
Sen. Grassley asks for investigation(PDF)
DOJ responds to Sen. Grassley(PDF)
Thanks for posting this.
Right after Clinton was innaugurated, we had an emboldened BATF create Waco.
Right after Obama was innaugurated, we had an emboldened BATFE create Gunwalker.
If you do not believe leftists are coordinated and work in concert, this scandal should put all those doubts to rest.
The list, ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
Wait... let me guess, Bush's fault?
Though I'm glad this story is getting wider coverage, it galls me to see CBS doing it.
very interesting
The ploy has designs on curbing Second Amendments Right for Americans. Sometime we are fortunate that the BATFE and the Justice Department is is awash is a sea of incompetence. Hopefully the next administration will actually go after criminals and terrorists and not Americans.
An unintentional (maybe intentional) aspect from the MSM reporting on this failed operation will be to put Americans lives in danger while working and visiting in Mexico. I do not support this kind of government backed program for any reason but the US is going to get bloody nose over this and the MSM will be more that happy to hype it and provide false accusations which will make matters worse. Maybe at we should leave border security to the MSM? After all they will have all the answers within a couple of weeks.
Seriously this is a no-win situation for the US unless we just lock down our borders and inspect each car and truck. Even then we can only slow the flow.
An unintentional (maybe intentional) aspect from the MSM reporting on this failed operation will be to put Americans lives in danger while working and visiting in Mexico. I do not support this kind of government backed program for any reason but the US is going to get bloody nose over this and the MSM will be more that happy to hype it and provide false accusations which will make matters worse. Maybe at we should leave border security to the MSM? After all they will have all the answers within a couple of weeks.
Seriously this is a no-win situation for the US unless we just lock down our borders and inspect each car and truck. Even then we can only slow the flow.
Do you not agree that this BATF-E program was allowed not necessarily just to assist in the capture of drug mafioso but with designs on curbing 2nd Amendment Rights for Americans as an attendant goal?
Absolutely
Napolitano has spent almost her entire life on the border.She was raised in New Mexico, She spent her adult life in Arizona till she moved to Washington, so she knows that border very, very well and all is ticking along quite nicely in her world and the system works.We are sinking fast.
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