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CBS News obtained documents from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) discussing a covert operation “Fast and Furious” causing debate about new rules on gun sales.
The ATF is accused of secretly encouraging gun dealers to sell to suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels to go after the “big fish.” ATF whistleblowers told CBS News and Congress this dangerous practice of “gunwalking” put thousands of weapons on the street.
A series of emails show that the ATF were discussing using the sales to justify a new gun regulation called “Demand Letter 3” that would require some US gun shops to report the sale of multiple rifles. This would be the third ATF program demanding gun dealers to report tracing information.
CBS News and Congressional investigators were told by several gun dealers who cooperated with ATF that they only went through with suspicious sales because ATF asked them to.
When one licensed gun dealer cooperating with ATF became concerned about selling so many guns ATF’s group supervisor on Fast and Furious David Voth assured the dealer there was nothing to worry about.
“We (ATF) are continually monitoring these suspects using a variety of investigative techniques which I cannot go into detail,” he said.
ATF officials argue that many rifles are being used by violent cartels in Mexico while gun rights advocates say this is unconstitutional, and would not make a difference in Mexican cartel crimes.
According to CBS, two earlier Demand Letters were initiated in 2000 and Demand Letter 3 would affect 8,500 firearms dealers in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Now the National Shooting Sports Foundation is suing the ATF to stop what it considers an illegal attempt to enforce a law Congress never passed.
Thailand Law Forum discusses the issue further.
Fast and Furious Scandal:
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for years, we have allowed weapons to crossed mexico and into the hands of criminals. we should have never allowed that to happen but when you think of it, its very american…sigh
there was “Watergate”, now there is ” fast and furious” – I have no doubt Obama’s mess will be taught in schools a hundred years from now, if history is even being recorded anymore.