From Congressman Lamar Smith’s web site:

Republicans Want Answers on ATF Gun Trafficking Program

Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) and 13 Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee today sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder regarding recent allegations that ATF may have been complicit in the illegal transfer of firearms into Mexico.  The members requested information regarding the Phoenix-based program known as “Fast and Furious,” which according to reports intentionally allowed straw buyers for criminal organizations to purchase thousands of guns so that ATF could track them across the border. 

Smith and the members criticized ATF’s alleged actions saying, “We find it ironic that the government allowed guns to be trafficked into Mexico as part of a program designed to stop guns from being trafficked into Mexico. We are also troubled that ATF engaged in activities that may have facilitated the transfer of guns to violent drug cartels while simultaneously attempting to restrict lawful firearms sales by border-area firearms dealers.”

According to the Center for Public Integrity, ATF allowed nearly 2,000 guns—valued at over one million dollars—to cross the border to known criminal organizations.  Two of the guns from the program were found at the murder scene of Customs and Border Protection Agent Brian Terry in December. 

The Department of Justice has requested that the Inspector General investigate the allegations. But more questions for the Department remain, including who authorized and directed the program.

A copy of the complete letter can be found at: http://judiciary.house.gov/news/pdfs/HJC%20Gunrunner%20Letter.pdf

It must be real if it is in the Washington Post…ATF Gunrunner scandal finally gets coverage in DC
Mexico questions ATF’s Gunrunner program

ATF gun running scheme finally getting scrutinized… Now there is no question that ATF “walked” guns were found at the murder site of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry

ATF Let Hundreds of U.S. Weapons Fall into Hands of Suspected Mexican Gunrunners…and 2 of these guns were found at Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s murder site

CBS News Reports: ATF agent ordered to let guns into Mexico

CBS News reports on ATF scandal…was Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry murdered by a gun being tracked by ATF?

Inside ATF…an ugly picture …how many dead bodies are out there as a result of Project Gunrunner?

Senator Grassley struggles to get to the bottom of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s death and the role of ATF

FBI: Friendly fire ruled out in Tucson border agent’s slaying …so which gun fired the bullet that killed Brian Terry?

Grassley blasts Department of Justice on coverup of guns used in Agent Terry’s murder

Dept. of Justice denies gun claim about Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s death

Is there a cover-up on Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry’s murder?

Senator Grassley letters accusing BATFE of letting guns be sold that may have been used in the murder of Border Patrol agent Brian Terry

Was Border Patrol agent Brian Terry killed by a gun bought in Phoenix?



This entry was posted on Thursday, March 10th, 2011 at 4:55 am and is filed under atf, border issues, border patrol, drug smuggling, grassley, mexican drug cartels, mexico, politics, project gunrunner. Tags for this post: congressman lamar smith, lamar smith. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.