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Holder's DOJ Attorneys, Not ATF Agents, Let Grenades Go to Mexican Drug Cartels
Townhall.com ^ | October 21, 2013 | Katie Pavlich

Posted on 10/21/2013 12:03:04 PM PDT by Kaslin

Late last week news broke of a connection between grenades illegally trafficked from the U.S. into Mexico by Jean Baptiste Kingery and the murder of Mexican police officers. Years ago, Kingery was suspected of trafficking parts for grenades into Mexico and then building explosives for cartels.

An incident report detailing a fire fight between Mexican police and cartel members states, "Jalisco State Police Officers murdered during a shooting with members of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion in Tepatitlan, Jalisoc, MX. In the late hours of October 10, 2013, officers with the Jalisco State Police engaged in a shooting with members of the cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion in Tepatitlan, Jalisco. During the shooting, three Jalisco State Police Officers were killed, including the third in command of the Police Department, and three others were injured. Elements of the State Police received fire from a .50 caliber rifle and at least 10 hand grenades, the evidence of one being reported as a "Kingery" grenade. It is also being reported that nine firearms were recovered from the scene during the post incident search. ATF MCO is awaiting further information in order to submit urgent trace requests to the National Tracing Center as well as attempting to receive more information from contacts within the Jalisco Police Department."

In the story last week, it was stated ATF agents 'let grenades walk' into Mexico, which is incorrect. In fact, ATF agents had a full confession from Kingery stating that he was supplying grenades to Mexican cartels after trafficking parts to build them once inside the country. ATF agents had plenty of evidence, wanted him prosecuted and even described him as a terrorist.

"At no point did ATF ever knowingly let this guy walk grenades. He never had live grenades while he was under surveillance. The stuff he had is not illegal in the United States. The only time it is illegal is when it's crossing the border," Special Agent Peter Forcelli said. "They were just parts, they weren't whole grenades."

At one point, Kingery was arrested by ATF agents as he tried to cross into Mexico, but the case was dropped by the Department of Justice under orders from former U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory Hurley.

As a refresher:

"[U.S. Attorney] Emory [Hurley] shat on a couple other significant cases we were working on, including a case on grenades," Forcelli says. "In the grenade case, a suspect named Jean Baptiste Kingery was believed by Forcelli and other agents to be sending grenades out of the country, trafficking parts for grenades into Mexico, and then building explosives for the cartels.
"Their advice was, under no circumstances, do not let him leave the country but, if you catch him leaving the country, we won't prosecute him," Focelli explains. "They tied our hands."
Eventually, Kingery was arrested by ATF agents as he tried to cross into Mexico with grenade parts and components packed in his tires. Forcelli received a full-blown confession from Kingery. The suspect reportedly admitted that he had been making grenades for the cartels and smuggling explosives across an international border. Instead of a prosecution from Burke of Hurley, they dismissed the case and Kingery went free.
"The only hands the U.S. Attorney's Office handcuffed in the Kingery case were the hands of ATF," Forcelli recalls. "In my opinion, dozens of firearms trafficking cases were given a pass by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona."
"Despite the existence of 'probable cause' in many cases, there were no indictments, no prosecutions, and criminals were allowed to walk free. In short, their office policies, in my opinion, helped pave a dangerous path."


ATF agents did their job in trying to stop Kingery and grenade parts, which would eventually be assembled into explosives, from going south into Mexico. Department of Justice attorneys Burke and Hurley set him free and ignored the case for years, resulting in the murders of multiple Mexican police officers last week. Kingery is now being held and prosecuted in Mexico by Mexican authorities after his grenade mill and factory was located near Mazatlan. After a search warrant was executed, authorities found Kingery had trafficked enough material to build 800-1000 grenades. He's facing 40 years in a Mexican prison.

The Office of the Inspector General is conducting an investigation into how the Kingery case was handled, it's expected to be released soon.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; Mexico
KEYWORDS: azusattorneysoffice; doj; drugcartels; ericholder; fastandfurious; grenades; grenadewalking; opfastandfurious

1 posted on 10/21/2013 12:03:04 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Let Issa investigate it.

That will mean it will be forgotten in the shortest amount of time.


2 posted on 10/21/2013 12:07:36 PM PDT by Venturer (Keep Obama and you aint seen nothing yet.)
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To: Kaslin

Where the criminals go unchecked, they will only expand and try to get away with even more.


3 posted on 10/21/2013 12:08:53 PM PDT by George from New England (escaped CT in 2006, now living north of Tampa)
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To: Nachum

this just keeps getting stranger


4 posted on 10/21/2013 12:09:01 PM PDT by Loud Mime (Liberal: greedy person who charges their grandchildren for today's party)
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To: Kaslin
another phoney scandal.....

nothing to see here folks

kumbayah....



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5 posted on 10/21/2013 12:09:51 PM PDT by MeshugeMikey ( Un-Documented Journalist / Block Captain..Tyranny Response Team)
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To: Loud Mime

Stranger? I think it was predictable. Are you surprised?


6 posted on 10/21/2013 12:24:08 PM PDT by Nachum (Obamacare: It's. The. Flaw.)
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To: MeshugeMikey

I’m pretty sure the US has been selling the Mexican military in the range of 20,000 guns and weapons yearly for many years. That these are then dispersed in a corrupt organization shouldn’t surprise anyone. Whatever Holder and the ATF does is small potatoes in comparison to business as usual for decades.


7 posted on 10/21/2013 12:24:20 PM PDT by Sheapdog (Chew the meat, spit out the bones - FUBO - Come and get me)
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To: Kaslin

Hundreds of Mexican and two American lives were expendible so that Obama, Holder and Clinton could make a political point against the 2nd amendment.


8 posted on 10/21/2013 12:24:20 PM PDT by Paine in the Neck (Is John's moustache long enough YET?)
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To: Kaslin
What will it take to indict, prosecute and punish Eric Holder?
His crimes are too numerous to summarize.

The fact that he was actually a federal judge for a period of time, just underscores the egregiousness of his dereliction, his tendency to make "arbitrary and capricious" decisions and his tendency towards serious lapses of memory or outright lying.

To say nothing of his belief that he has the power to apply or ignore the Constitution and laws at his pleasure.

9 posted on 10/21/2013 12:25:23 PM PDT by publius911 (Look for the Union label, then buy something else.)
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To: Paine in the Neck

“..Hundreds of Mexican and two American lives were expendible so that Obama, Holder and Clinton could make a political point against the 2nd amendment.”

::::::::::::

It was never about anything else. And, for what it got us (nothing) it blew up in their traitorous faces, exposing just another chapter in the anti-Constitution agenda.


10 posted on 10/21/2013 12:36:46 PM PDT by EagleUSA
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To: Kaslin

When the news broke, I was surprised at the fact that we can track grenades.

Do they have serial number etched on them? Wouldn’t it be destroyed during the blast?

What next would our military geniuses come up next? (not a sarc, but genuine praise/interest)


11 posted on 10/21/2013 12:48:25 PM PDT by Sir Napsalot (Pravda + Useful Idiots = CCCP; JournOList + Useful Idiots = DopeyChangey!)
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To: Kaslin

“[U.S. Attorney] Emory [Hurley] shat on a couple other significant cases we were working on, including a case on grenades,” Forcelli says.

Well Obama shat on the entire country, so it all makes sense.


12 posted on 10/21/2013 1:02:09 PM PDT by pluvmantelo (The issue isn't the issue-power is the issue.)
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To: Sheapdog
He never had live grenades while he was under surveillance. The stuff he had is not illegal in the United States. The only time it is illegal is when it's crossing the border," Special Agent Peter Forcelli said. "They were just parts, they weren't whole grenades."

So if you have him under surveillance, why not pass of the case to ICE or CBP who can do a warrantless outbound inspection?

13 posted on 10/21/2013 2:23:39 PM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: Venturer

True Dat!


14 posted on 10/21/2013 2:36:02 PM PDT by PoloSec ( Believe the Gospel: how that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again)
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To: Kaslin

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2011/09/dennis_burkes_ouster_tied_to_b.php


15 posted on 10/21/2013 2:37:20 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee (A politician can't give you anything he hasn't first stolen from you.)
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To: Kaslin

BTTT!


16 posted on 10/21/2013 8:13:12 PM PDT by neverdem (Register pressure cookers! /s)
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To: USNBandit

Lawlessness and political whim rule?

I mean once you decide that the Constitution means anything, it means nothing.


17 posted on 10/22/2013 4:33:56 AM PDT by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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To: All


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18 posted on 10/22/2013 4:37:10 AM PDT by musicman (Until I see the REAL Long Form Vault BC, he's just "PRES__ENT" Obama = Without "ID")
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