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ATF: Mexican cartels paid to inform for FBI, DEA
Charlotte (NC) Observer ^ | Jul. 09, 2011 | Richard A. Serrano

Posted on 07/10/2011 5:48:34 PM PDT by moonshinner_09

WASHINGTON The embattled head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has told congressional investigators that some Mexican drug cartel figures targeted by his agency in a gun-trafficking investigation were paid informants for the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.

Kenneth Melson, the ATF's acting director, has been under pressure to resign after the agency allowed guns to be purchased in the U.S. in hopes they would be traced to cartel leaders.

Under the gun-trafficking operation known as Fast and Furious, the ATF lost track of the guns. Many were found at crime scenes in Mexico. Two guns also were recovered near Nogales, Ariz., where a U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed.

Gun-trafficking controversy

In two days of meetings with congressional investigators over the weekend, Melson said the FBI and DEA kept the ATF "in the dark" about their relationships with the cartel informants. If ATF agents had known of the relationships, the agency might have ended the investigation earlier, he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at charlotteobserver.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Mexico; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: atf; castaway; dea; doj; fastandfurious; fbi; gunrunner; gunwalker; holder; immigration; melson; mx; obama
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The more they find out about this, the more distrubing it becomes. I only hope Obama will be like Nixon and appear on TV how Nixon did declaring, I am not a crook !
1 posted on 07/10/2011 5:48:37 PM PDT by moonshinner_09
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To: moonshinner_09
The embattled head of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has told congressional investigators that some Mexican drug cartel figures targeted by his agency in a gun-trafficking investigation were paid informants for the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration.

Not surprising. The DEA/ATF and the cartels are really two sides of the same coin.
2 posted on 07/10/2011 5:52:46 PM PDT by microgood
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To: moonshinner_09

did we pay them in guns?


3 posted on 07/10/2011 5:57:40 PM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Happiness)
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To: moonshinner_09
ATF agents had witnessed the transfer of weapons from straw purchasers to others "without following the guns any further"

The plan was to flood Mexico with American guns so as to increase pressure from both outside and inside the US for federal gun control over American citizens. The idea that they were using the guns to trace the cartel bosses is false, because they didn't even bother tracking the guns.

It's the "community organizer" way to get things done - create a crisis (the old Reichstag fire trick) and then move in to "solve" the problem.

4 posted on 07/10/2011 6:01:04 PM PDT by Meet the New Boss
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To: moonshinner_09

Drug Cartels? What cartels? This is the Mexican version of ACORN. Sure they play a little rough but so does the Chicago branch.


5 posted on 07/10/2011 6:01:53 PM PDT by BipolarBob (Beer? That's the reason I get up in the afternoon.)
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To: moonshinner_09
This is as bad as it can get. Obama and three or more Federal bureaucracies hiring and paying individuals to attack with lethal force, security officers and citizens of the United States.

Insurrection and Treason.

6 posted on 07/10/2011 6:12:26 PM PDT by Navy Patriot (Holy flippin' crap, Sarah rocks the world!)
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To: Navy Patriot
This is as bad as it can get. Obama and three or more Federal bureaucracies hiring and paying individuals to attack with lethal force, security officers and citizens of the United States.

Not to mention assassinate at least 150 Mexican law enforcement officers. And uncounted civilians.

It is apparent that they never considered the consequences of their actions.

7 posted on 07/10/2011 6:17:47 PM PDT by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance On Parade)
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To: moonshinner_09

I let my Mexican drug lord license expire. Am I still eligible for the free machine gun program?


8 posted on 07/10/2011 6:20:46 PM PDT by BBell
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To: moonshinner_09
Under the gun-trafficking operation known as Fast and Furious, the ATF lost track of the guns.

Because they never made an effort to track them. That wasn't the point...

Two U.S. law enforcement officials are known to have died as a result. And over 150 Mexican law enforcement officials. Plus an unknown number of civilians.

Nobody died in Watergate!

9 posted on 07/10/2011 6:21:15 PM PDT by okie01 (THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA: Ignorance On Parade)
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To: Meet the New Boss

Isn’t the idea behind this to make U.S. like Mexico where it will be a crime for citizens to own guns ? This is what Mexico is aiming for. Always see Mexico say we allow guns and cash to reach the cartels, nevermind Mexico has no real border security to see who is coming in with what and who is departing the country with what. Mexico will soon be shipping out illegals in trucks under Obama’s let their them Mexican truckers on american roads-10-4


10 posted on 07/10/2011 6:23:12 PM PDT by moonshinner_09
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To: moonshinner_09

That article is nuts. This is exploding.


11 posted on 07/10/2011 6:33:25 PM PDT by GlockThe Vote (The Obama Adminstration: The flash mob who wonÂ’t leave.)
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To: GlockThe Vote

I wish I could understand what the motive was for the F&F. Didn’t we already know that guns were used by the criminals in Mexico? Was there some possibility that they would end up at the convents? The whole scheme just does not make any sense.


12 posted on 07/10/2011 6:44:48 PM PDT by reflecting
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To: moonshinner_09

Interesting. A Charlotte newspaper (not New York or Washington) comes up with this. Some one in Congress is leaking big time.


13 posted on 07/10/2011 6:46:09 PM PDT by Melchior
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To: okie01
Not to mention assassinate at least 150 Mexican law enforcement officers. And uncounted civilians.

Mexico could charge, at the UN and International court, that this is an Act of War, and likely be sustained at the General Assembly and Court. A US veto on the Security Council would prevent UN action, but the US would be adjudged "waging aggressive warfare" and be guilty of human rights crimes and defenseless in court.

14 posted on 07/10/2011 6:49:31 PM PDT by Navy Patriot (Holy flippin' crap, Sarah rocks the world!)
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To: reflecting
I wish I could understand what the motive was for the F&F.

To create statistics that support a (fraudulent) purported crisis requiring draconian gun control as the ONLY solution.

Standard Alinsky.

15 posted on 07/10/2011 6:53:43 PM PDT by Navy Patriot (Holy flippin' crap, Sarah rocks the world!)
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To: moonshinner_09


16 posted on 07/10/2011 7:04:23 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: BBell
"I let my Mexican drug lord license expire. Am I still eligible for the free machine gun program?"

As usual, a FReeper has quoted a masterpiece. This would be an excellent one-liner to educate the ignorant left.

17 posted on 07/10/2011 8:09:54 PM PDT by labette ( Humble student of Thinkology)
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To: Navy Patriot

It looks like Honduras could make the same claim. They should.


18 posted on 07/10/2011 8:14:48 PM PDT by TigersEye (Wranglers not Levis. Levi Strauss is anti-2nd Amendment.)
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To: GlockThe Vote
"This is exploding."

If there is a explosion in the USA and the MSM does not report it, did it happen?

19 posted on 07/10/2011 8:22:50 PM PDT by Deaf Smith
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To: labette

Someone needs to make a t-shirt with that line on it.


20 posted on 07/10/2011 9:07:48 PM PDT by BBell
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