ATF Death Watch 63: The Definition of Chutzpah

The deplorable level of violence perpetrated by drug traffickers in Mexico has resulted in the deaths of thousands of individuals, many of whom were innocent bystanders. A very high percentage of these murders were committed with firearms which originated in the United States, often bought by straw purchasers who provide the guns to smuggling organizations such as the one operated by these defendants. And there you have it: ATF Special Agent in Charge Dewey Webb’s and U.S. Attorney John E. Murphy’s press release celebrating the sentencing of Aurelia Ochoa Hernandez and Pedro Daniel Tovar for firearms trafficking. The exact same crime perpetuated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (and Really Big Fires) during Operating Fast and Furious. The key difference . . .

The ATF supplied the Sinaloa cartel with U.S. gun store firearms while the two Houston residents (and others) smuggled weapon into Mexico to sell to members of Los Zetas. Who clearly don’t need to smuggle semi-automatic rifles in ones and twos. Who clearly use U.S. government-supplied military weapons. So how did Los Zetas get those guns? Don’t ask Webb and Murphy. They’re . . . busy.

But someone in the Congressional Gunwalker investigation needs to ask that question. ‘Cause it seems that the ATF and the alphabet soup of federal agencies that aided and abetted them have been playing sides in the intra-cartel war. Not to riddle a dead horse with bullets fired from a full-auto AR, but maybe that had a little something to do with Operation Fast and Furious?

Meanwhile, bordelandbeat.com reports that another Mexican journalist has disappeared, presumed dead at the hands of the Sinaloa cartel. And these are our friends? Not mine, obviously.