ATF never let guns walk into Mexico in Operation Fast and Furious
| ATF never let guns walk into Mexico in Operation Fast and Furious | |
|---|---|
| FALSE | |
| "The ATF never knowingly allowed the sale of assault weapons to suspected straw purchasers who then took them into Mexico." | |
| Domain | Crime & Public Safety |
| Tactic | Fabrication |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2011 |
| Origin | A Justice Department letter to Senator Charles Grassley, February 4, 2011, under President Barack Obama |
| Last reviewed | 2026-11-01 |
| Further reading: books on Crime & Public Safety | |
In Operation Fast and Furious, run by the Phoenix office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from 2009 to 2011, agents allowed suspected straw buyers to purchase about 2,000 guns, hoping to trace them to Mexican cartel leaders. Most of the guns were lost.
On December 14, 2010, Border Patrol agent Brian Terry was killed in Arizona. Two rifles from the operation were found at the scene. When Senator Charles Grassley asked about the operation, the Justice Department wrote to him on February 4, 2011, that the ATF never knowingly allowed guns to be sold to straw purchasers and taken to Mexico.
What the evidence shows
- Letter withdrawn. On December 2, 2011, the Justice Department formally withdrew the February letter because it contained inaccurate information.
- Inspector general. The Justice Department's inspector general reported in September 2012 that the operation was seriously flawed and found that senior officials had failed to ensure the letter was accurate. Fourteen officials were referred for possible discipline.
- Contempt. In June 2012 the House voted to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for withholding related documents, the first such vote against a sitting attorney general.
Why it matters
A false official denial to Congress delayed accountability for an operation that put weapons in the hands of cartels and was linked to an agent's death.
Sources
- US Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, A Review of ATF's Operation Fast and Furious and Related Matters, September 2012.
- US Department of Justice, letter withdrawing the February 4, 2011, letter to Senator Grassley, December 2, 2011.
- US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, reports on Operation Fast and Furious, 2011–2012.