ATF lets guns into Mexico, Dealers tried to stop them.
Comments Mar 10, 2011 | Civil Rights, Military, Politics
I was simply shocked by this story.
I’m a little behind the curve in posting about this, but I have been doing some research, and waiting on the response of a few “Freedom of Information Act” public data requests. No joy there, they were denied because of an “ongoing investigation”. UPDATE: I Did get a copy of the indictment of 10 of the gun-runners in Phoenix.
John Dobson was an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms senior agent assigned to the Phoenix office in 2010. Dodson’s job is to stop gun trafficking across the border. Instead, he says he was ordered to sit by and watch it happen.
“Project Gunrunner” deployed new teams of agents to the southwest border. The idea was to stop the flow of weapons from the US to Mexico’s drug cartels. But in practice, ATF’s actions had the opposite result… They facilitated the delivery of thousands of guns into criminal hands.
Jaime Avila was one of the suspicious buyers. ATF put him in its suspect database in January of 2010. For the next year, ATF watched as Avila and 9 other suspects bought hundreds of guns for “personal use.” I did get a copy of that indictment.
It shows hundreds of guns being purchased from a handful of dealers, and online merchants (then transferred to an Federally Licensed Dealer).
Now you may wonder why in the world gunshops would sell sometimes up to a dozen guns to a suspicious individual.
Answer: The ATF told them to.
Many of the gun stores, including Carter’s Country in Houston, and Lone Wolf Trading in Phoenix called the ATF while they were running the background checks, and were told to let the sales go.
I’m boots on the ground in Phoenix, telling you we’ve been doing it every day since I’ve been here,” he said. “Here I am. Tell me I didn’t do the things that I did. Tell me you didn’t order me to do the things I did. Tell me it didn’t happen. Now you have a name on it. You have a face to put with it. Here I am. Someone now, tell me it didn’t happen.
John Dobson
Dodson stated that the cooperating gun dealers who sold weapons to the suspects at ATF’s request had concerns and wanted to end their sales, but were told to continue, and were promised protection by federal prosecutors, as it was all part of an ATF case… ”Fast and Furious.”
On Dec. 14, 2010, Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was gunned down. Dodson got the bad news from a colleague.Dodson said, “I felt guilty. I mean it’s crushing. I don’t know how to explain it.”
Thank you Mr. Dodson for your bravery, and risking your career to bring knowledge of awful action of our government.
The ATF has released this statement:
“The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) will ask a multi-disciplinary panel of law enforcement professionals to review the bureau’s current firearms trafficking strategies employed by field division managers and special agents. This review will enable ATF to maximize its effectiveness when undertaking complex firearms trafficking investigations and prosecutions. It will support the goals of ATF to stem the illegal flow of firearms to Mexico and combat firearms trafficking in the United States.”
Kenneth E. Melson, Acting Director, BATFE
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