Gun Trafficking to Mexico -- Operation 'Fast and Furious' Costs Lives
LOS ANGELES -- Operation Fast and Furious, which allowed the transfer of thousands of guns to Mexican drug cartels, was an aberration from the outset, write editors of La Opinión, and It cost the lives of Americans and surely many Mexicans as well.
Congressional investigations have been underway into the genesis of the outlandish idea and its implementation. We believe that the scandal warrants the resignation of the Kenneth Melson, interim director of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (AFT) — which still has not happened— in order to turn the page.
As a result of this case, the ATF has come forward with a gun control measure requiring that gun dealers in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas report within five days multiple sales of semi-automatic guns to the same purchaser.
The measure is to stop guns in the U.S. from ending up in the hands of the Mexico drug cartels through legal purchasing to individuals who then resale the firearms. What a shame that not everyone in Congress has their sights focused on the same target.
Senator Charles Grassly (R-Iowa) and Congressman Darrel Issa (R-CA) have been heading up the much-needed congressional investigation into Fast and Furious. The problem is that their interest is limited to digging up dirt on the Obama administration instead of focusing on the problem of gun trafficking to Mexico.
That’s why both politicians rejected the new ATF rules outright. Even worse, this past Wednesday, a House Committee added an addendum to the Department of Justice’s budget to defund the implementation of the new AFT measures.
ATF’s proposal is viewed by the Republicans as an attempt by the executive branch to restrict the constitutional right to bear arms when, in reality, it is a slight readjustment of current rules.