Washington Post: "ATF's tactics to end gun trafficking face a federal review"

[friendly_iconoclast]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/09/AR2011030905584_pf.html

ATF's tactics to end gun trafficking face a federal review

By James V. Grimaldi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, March 10, 2011; A04

A controversy over tactics used to break up an extensive Mexican gunrunning ring has prompted federal officials to reevaluate an aggressive law enforcement strategy to stop firearms trafficking.

The new scrutiny comes after two separate shootings in the past three months in which federal agents were killed and guns recovered by investigators were later traced back to people already under investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives...

This has apparently shut down an much-touted investigation into Texas gun dealer Carter's Country, as previously

discussed here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=118x350975

....Defense lawyer Dick DeGuerin said the controversy has had an impact on the criminal investigation into one of his clients, Carter's Country, a Houston area chain that had sold assault weapons to a gun-trafficking ring. DeGuerin said that Carter's Country was told by the ATF to go ahead with sales of assault weapons and then report the serial numbers later to the ATF. Last week, a prosecutor called DeGuerin to say the investigation was being dropped....

[MyrnaLoy]

1. Watch me turn a story

about guns from America killing people in Mexico into a "We hate the ATF" story!!! Look, quick LOOK, the ATF is doing something, pay no attention to those guns going across the border everyday that HAS NOTHING to do with the ATF.

[pneutin]

2. The ATF did something all right...

...they told the public that rogue FFL dealers were selling to straw buyers along the border, when in fact it was the ATF that paid them to do so, since 2008. And now those thousands of guns that ATF intentionally let through are coming back to kill us (literally), and you want to ignore them? :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

[Straw Man]

3. TURN a story?

Did you even read it? ATF let guns go across the border as part of their investigation, and these same guns were used to kill federal agents. Bad, bad practice. Either they didn't believe the guns were actually going to bad guys (stupidity/hypocrisy), or they just didn't care (callous indifference to human life). That's like narcs fronting real dope that their own kids will OD on.

[Oneka]

4. Heh,, watch them try to turn a story

about an out of control federal agency, knowingly letting guns walk across the border, for political gain and funding.

Into a story about "an aggressive law enforcement strategy to stop firearms trafficking."

[PavePusher]

5. You don't do reality(tm), do you...? n/t

[WatsonT]

8. Um, they were the ones running the guns

that's a relevant fact.

An most of the military style weapons are simply coming from the Mexican Military that purchased them legally.

You really think they're going to come up to the US to purchase old rifles at US prices from gun shows when they can simply bribe some General to drop off a crate of modern machine guns at some point in the desert?

[Atypical Liberal]

9. You really need to do some reading on this subject.

Not trying to be condescending here, seriously.

This story has been brewing for some time, with people within the ATF sounding the alarm for some time. It came to a head when a federal agent was killed, just as the whistle blowers had feared, using guns the ATF purposefully allowed to be trafficked.

If the claims of the whistle blowers are to be believed, the AFT is desperate to drum up "stats" - statistics - to bolster their budget and reason for existence. Much of what used to be BATFE territory has been encroached on by other agencies, like the DEA and the Department of Homeland Security. There is some suspicion that these firearms were allowed to be trafficked solely to bolster statistics that could be used to justify their budget.

Then of course there is some thought that perhaps this was a ploy all along to make it appear that Mexican gun running was a bigger problem than it actually was by allowing firearms to cross the border.

It's important to note here that some of the firearm dealers involved in this alerted the ATF to what was going on, and the ATF told them to allow the sales to proceed. Ostensibly, they wanted to track the firearms to see where they ended up, and so catch the "big players".

[rl6214]

10. YUP, you're right, now it's the mayor, police chief

in Columbus new mexico that are running guns into mexico. NOTHING TO SEE HERE, IT'S JUST YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK.

THAT BETTER FOR YOU?

[friendly_iconoclast]

12. "Please ignore the inconvenient truth that the case against Carter's Country collapsed....

...because they were acting at the ATF's behest."

There, I've helped you explain away all that icky investigative journalism and those embarrassing relevations.

Never let it be said you lack friends here!

[one-eyed fat man]

14. Turn a story alright....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/12/AR2010121202663.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2010121203267

The Washington Post ran stories blaming Carter Country in Houston and Lone Wolf in Glendale as the biggest sources of guns going to Mexico. Look like the WaPo has some "'splainin' to do, Lucy..."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=118&topic_id=350975&mesg_id=350975

One of several posts on that story posted on DU by those just breathlessly eager to blame it all on gun owners and the vile NRA conspiracy.

Turns out the stores only made the sales at the ATF's behest! Embarrassed Federal prosecutors are sheepishly dropping charges against gun stores who were only doing the ATF's bidding. But don't let that stop you. Yes, "guns from America killing people in Mexico..." coming from diverted military weapons from corrupt Mexican military and police aided by thousands of guns walked across the border through the inept efforts of the ATF to sting the cartels.

You are the one spreading disinformation as fast as you can. Who made you Andy Traver's sock puppet?

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Well, I would hope so.

[X_Digger]

7. My, my.. even Wapo's turning on the ATF

Well, not really. Poor ATF, it's all that meanie Grassley's fault!

Only a handful of guns, see, not the 2,000 that agents reported!

[ileus]

13. LOL....great pic....I snagged it for another forum I'm on.

[Pullo]

11. I should hope so!

The ATF really screwed the pooch on this one.