[RC one]

The gun dealers didn't break any laws. They did what they were supposed to do. The dealers informed the ATF that there were suspicious buyers and the ATF told them to go ahead and make the transactions. The ATF wasn't even trying to arrest the gun dealers, that was never their intent. Their intent was to fabricate evidence to support the administration's anti-second amendment agenda.

[USNBandit]

Would they have played along had they known what kind of game the ATF was actually playing?

Imagine if you are one of these gun dealers. Don't you think there is an element of coercion when the agency that regulates your business says they want you to do something? If I was a dealer I would be afraid that if I said no the ATF would show up all the time to look at my books.

[OneWingedShark]

Arguably they knew, or suspected, the sales were not on the up-and-up as they called ATF several times to report the attempted sales if what I read the other day was accurate. {That they had to be talked into making the sales by the ATF.}