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Fast & Furious; More Carnage

Mike

Well-known member
LA Times - WASHINGTON—A high-powered rifle lost in the ATF’s Fast and Furious controversy was used to kill a Mexican police chief in the state of Jalisco earlier this year, according to internal Department of Justice records, suggesting that weapons from the failed gun-tracking operation have now made it into the hands of violent drug cartels deep inside Mexico.

Luis Lucio Rosales Astorga, the police chief in the city of Hostotipaquillo, was shot to death Jan. 29 when gunmen intercepted his patrol car and opened fire. Also killed was one of his bodyguards. His wife and a second bodyguard were wounded.

Local authorities said eight suspects in their 20s and 30s were arrested after police seized them nearby with a cache of weapons — rifles, grenades, handguns, helmets, bulletproof vests, uniforms and special communications equipment. The area is a hot zone for rival drug gangs, with members of three cartels fighting over turf in the region.

A semi-automatic WASR rifle, the firearm that killed the chief, was traced back to the Lone Wolf Trading Company, a gun store in Glendale, Ariz. The notation on the Department of Justice trace records said the WASR was used in a “HOMICIDE – WILLFUL – KILL –PUB OFF –GUN” –ATF code for “Homicide, Willful Killing of a Public Official, Gun.”

Hundreds of firearms were lost in the Fast and Furious operation. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives allowed illegal purchasers to buy the firearms at the Lone Wolf store in the Phoenix suburb and other gun shops in hopes of tracing them to Mexican cartel leaders.

The WASR used in Jalisco was purchased on Feb. 22, 2010, about three months into the Fast and Furious operation, by 26-year-old Jacob A. Montelongo of Phoenix. He later pleaded guilty to conspiracy, making false statements and smuggling goods from the United States and was sentenced to 41 months in prison.

Court records show Montelongo personally obtained at least 109 firearms during Fast and Furious. How the WASR ended up in the state of Jalisco, which is deep in central Mexico and includes the country’s second-largest metropolis, Guadalajara, remained unclear.

After the shooting in Jalisco, local officials said some of the suspects confessed to two other shootouts in the area, including one that left seven people dead, all part of the continuing feud by rival cartel members.

The ATF declined to discuss the matter; officials said they are still compiling an inventory of all the lost firearms for a complete account of the Fast and Furious operation.

Instead of being tracked, almost all the weapons were lost as they flooded across the border into Mexico. In all, some 211 people were killed or wounded by Fast and Furious weapons in Mexico, according to Mexican authorities. And on this side of the border, a Fast and Furious weapon was found at the Arizona scene where U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was slain in 2010.

Terry’s slaying set off a number of investigations in Washington into Fast and Furious. It led to the firing or demotion of many ATF officials, including the agency’s acting director, who stepped down. It ultimately prompted the GOP-controlled House to vote Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over a number of Fast and Furious records sought by the House Oversight Committee.
 

iwannabeacowboy

Well-known member
That is horrid, but at least we are hearing of the misuse of the illegal and forced sale of guns in Mexico. I highly doubt all guns went across the border, there is such a big gang presence here.
Do you think our administration is honest enough to admit when they are used to murder here. They have such a long record of honesty, surely they wouldn't stretch the truth here.

And a more sobering thought, if the border is so secure why are guns being released to criminals here. Instead of putting Mexicans in danger, the feds were and have put us in danger. If you say the border is that open, then what is keeping the guns from coming back across as cartels fight for supremacy here.
 

Steve

Well-known member
The ATF declined to discuss the matter; officials said they are still compiling an inventory of all the lost firearms for a complete account of the Fast and Furious operation.

I realize some goverment workers are slow... but this must be one of the slowest.. ever.. really?,... how long does it take to "compile" a list of guns your were supposed to be tracking?
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
Steve said:
The ATF declined to discuss the matter; officials said they are still compiling an inventory of all the lost firearms for a complete account of the Fast and Furious operation.

I realize some goverment workers are slow... but this must be one of the slowest.. ever.. really?,... how long does it take to "compile" a list of guns your were supposed to be tracking?

Indeed, "waiting for the final report" gives cover to the likes of The King and OT.
 

Steve

Well-known member
According to the report, not only were firearms unaccounted for, there were more than 1,400 extra weapons found, that were not inventoried.

Prior to this news event, we had operation “Fast and Furious” where agents lost track of about 1,400 weapons. Some were reported in criminal activity and even resulting in murders.

No arrests or legal judgements have been passed.

Aside from the coincidence of 1,400 firearms missing from Fast and Furious and 1,400 unaccounted firearms showing up during the USPP investigation,

In addition, gun control advocates’ focus never seems to linger longer than a moment on government accountability.

How many government procured weapons are circulating among criminal elements? How many will be found with individuals involved in crime? How many will claim lives of innocent people?

ltogether, about 2,000 firearms were bought by straw purchasers during Fast and Furious.[1]:203[3] These included AK-47 variants, Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifles, .38 caliber revolvers, and FN Five-sevens.[41] As of October 20, 2011, 389 had been recovered in the US and 276 had been recovered in Mexico. The rest remained on the streets, unaccounted for.[15] As of February 2012, the total number of recovered firearms was 710.

lets see... the program was ended in early 2011,.. it is now mid 2013
or about 28 to 30 months.. assuming they didn't do anything to "inventory the guns recovered prior to the program ending.. they had 710 guns to compile an inventory in about 28 to 30 months.. or about 600 to 640 working days...

so if they assigned one worker... he would obviously have to do less then two guns a day for the entire time,.. even if writing a report on each gun took a half of a day he could be done a long time ago... or taken alot of half days off...

but I doubt it is one lonely lowly union worker working in this..

so even if you take the totals for the two of "recovered" guns... from all the programs that are in the governments hands.. about 2100 how long would it really take to compile an inventory.. is it that hard to inventory 3 or 4 guns a day per union worker?

cause if it is... I would gladly take the job and finish it up...
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
Steve said:
According to the report, not only were firearms unaccounted for, there were more than 1,400 extra weapons found, that were not inventoried.

Prior to this news event, we had operation “Fast and Furious” where agents lost track of about 1,400 weapons. Some were reported in criminal activity and even resulting in murders.

No arrests or legal judgements have been passed.

Aside from the coincidence of 1,400 firearms missing from Fast and Furious and 1,400 unaccounted firearms showing up during the USPP investigation,

In addition, gun control advocates’ focus never seems to linger longer than a moment on government accountability.

How many government procured weapons are circulating among criminal elements? How many will be found with individuals involved in crime? How many will claim lives of innocent people?

ltogether, about 2,000 firearms were bought by straw purchasers during Fast and Furious.[1]:203[3] These included AK-47 variants, Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifles, .38 caliber revolvers, and FN Five-sevens.[41] As of October 20, 2011, 389 had been recovered in the US and 276 had been recovered in Mexico. The rest remained on the streets, unaccounted for.[15] As of February 2012, the total number of recovered firearms was 710.

lets see... the program was ended in early 2011,.. it is now mid 2013
or about 28 to 30 months.. assuming they didn't do anything to "inventory the guns recovered prior to the program ending.. they had 710 guns to compile an inventory in about 28 to 30 months.. or about 600 to 640 working days...

so if they assigned one worker... he would obviously have to do less then two guns a day for the entire time,.. even if writing a report on each gun took a half of a day he could be done a long time ago... or taken alot of half days off...

but I doubt it is one lonely lowly union worker working in this..

so even if you take the totals for the two of "recovered" guns... from all the programs that are in the governments hands.. about 2100 how long would it really take to compile an inventory.. is it that hard to inventory 3 or 4 guns a day per union worker?

cause if it is... I would gladly take the job and finish it up...

This is what's called true government leadership in action. :roll:
 
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