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Published June 15, 2011 | FoxNews.com Print Email Share Comments Text Size Agent Brian A. Terry, 40, was killed on Dec. 14 near Rio Rico, Ariz., according to a statement released by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. (FNC) A U.S. law enforcement operation intended to crack down on major weapons traffickers on the Southwest border spiraled out of control as federal agents were told by superiors to "stand down" and ignore weapons bought in Arizona headed for Mexico, a House panel heard Wednesday. Three federal firearms investigators told the House Oversight and Government Reform committee that they wanted to "intervene and interdict" loads of guns, but were repeatedly ordered to step aside. Related Video Operation Fast and Furious: What Went Wrong? House probing botched gunrunning sting "Allowing loads of weapons that we knew to be destined for criminals -- this was the plan," John Dodson, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent, testified to the panel. "It was so mandated." He added: "My supervisors directed me and my colleagues not to make any stop or arrest, but rather, to keep the straw purchaser under surveillance while allowing the guns to walk." ATF agent Olindo James Casa said that "on several occasions I personally requested to interdict or seize firearms, but I was always ordered to stand down and not to seize the firearms." Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the panel, has spearheaded the congressional investigation into the ATF's "Operation Fast and Furious." He said the hopes of scoring a knockout blow against the Mexican cartels badly misfired, and then continued over the objections of federal agents. The program came to a crashing halt in January with the death of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Two guns purchased under ATF surveillance were found near Terry's corpse, but it is unknown whether they were used in his death. Peter Forcelli, an ATF supervisory special agent who testified at the hearing, told Fox News that tracking the bullet and gun that killed him depended on the evidence. A projectile recovered from the corpse can be matched with a murder weapon, he said. "But with a rifle, the possibility exists that the round would penetrate the body and body armor and possibly never be recovered," he said. "And if that happens, you can't show that weapon was utilized in the homicide because you are missing that piece of ballistic evidence. That's where you would rely on witnesses or other types physical evidence found at the scene." Members of Terry's family appeared before the committee Wednesday, asking how it happened and what will be done to ensure it doesn't happen again. "We hope that all individuals involved in Brian's murder, and those that played a role in putting the assault weapons in their hands are found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law," said Robert Heyer, a cousin of Terry. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said accountability is needed and the only question is how high does it go. "The president said he didn't authorize it, and that the attorney general didn't authorize it. They have both admitted that quote unquote a serious mistake may have been made," he said. "There are a lot of questions and a lot of investigating to do, but one thing has become clear already -- this was no mistake." Assistant Attorney General Ronald Weich said that an investigation and prosecution continues into Terry's shooting death, which has led to the indictment of at least one suspect who is in federal custody. "Operation Fast and Furious is a criminal investigation—led by U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutors and ATF agents—aimed at dismantling a significant transnational gun-trafficking enterprise and the network of those who support the enterprise’s criminal efforts, an investigation which has led already to the indictment of 20 defendants," he said. Issa's hearing came one day after his panel released a draft report concluding the busted operation was a deadly strategy that left a trail of blood and bodies throughout the Southwest. The report concluded that a reckless and irresponsible chain of command ignored repeated warnings the plan would fail. "You've got people who are dead, you have weapons that are missing and you have an administration that doesn't seem to want to take any accountability for it," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and a member of the panel. "There is absolutely no justification, no justification for this. There are people that are going to have to be held accountable." Findings from the preliminary report include: -- Agents expected to interdict weapons, yet were told to stand down and “just surveil.” Agents therefore did not act. They watched straw purchasers buy hundreds of weapons illegally and transfer those weapons to unknown third parties and stash houses. -- ATF agents complained about the strategy of allowing guns to walk in Operation Fast and Furious. Leadership ignored their concerns. Instead, supervisors told the agents to “get with the program” because senior ATF officials had sanctioned the operation. -- Agents knew that given the large numbers of weapons being trafficked to Mexico, tragic results were a near certainty. -- Operation Fast and Furious contributed to the increasing violence and deaths in Mexico. This result was regarded with "giddy" optimism by ATF supervisors hoping that guns recovered at crime scenes in Mexico would provide the nexus to straw purchasers in Phoenix. That last finding is sure to anger Mexico, which has so far been muted in its criticism. In a March 2010 memo, ATF says it allowed gun smugglers to buy 359 guns while 958 people died in Mexico the same month. Internally, the agency was "trumpeting up the violence that was occurring as a result of an ATF sanctioned program." Fox News' William LaJeunesse contributed to this report. Print Email Share Comments Text Size View Article Disqus LoginAbout DisqusLike Dislike liked this. Glad you liked it. Would you like to share? Facebook Twitter Share No thanks Sharing this page … Thanks! Close Comments for this page are closed. Commenting on content automatically closes after three days from when it's published. Showing 10 of 1921 comments Sort by Popular now Best rating Newest first Oldest first Subscribe by email Subscribe by RSS strapvm 1 hour ago Now that a federal agency dictated to gun shop owners to sell guns to “known” straw purchasers, illegally, so the BATFE could supposedly track such guns sales all the way to…. to…. well I think they never said “where” they would track them to, but most assumed they would stop the unlawful guns from going into Mexico. So, law abiding citizens are told to ‘break the law’ by a “federal agency” and now politicians want us to accept that MORE gun control laws will solve the problem. Which problem? The one where illegal guns are sold when federal agents tell people to sell them, or the one where illegally sold guns make it across our porous southern border into a failed socialist state where anarchy seems to rule the day? Gun “CONTROL” is exactly what caused this problem. Or more accurately, the patently obvious absence of gun control enforcement by those assigned the task to do that job! Even recent FBI statistics show that more guns in America over the past three to five years, has resulted NOT in more crime, but in fact in a DROP in crime rates! If congress does anything at all, it should be to take away the authority of anyone associated with this failed operation & to place the entire BATFE unit under the everyday watchful eye of multiple independent Inspector Generals. Too much government and far too expansive powers granted to federal public officials, is what caused all of this. There would have been no case at all if BATFE had not started this operation, so more gun control laws to fix the problem is merely diversionary so gun grabbers can tell all how terrible gun owners are. Reagan was right. Government is not the solution, government is the problem! Like Flag strapvm 1 hour ago There is NO WAY DOJ Eric Holder didn’t know and approve Projects Gunrunner and Fast and Furious. DOJ Asst Attorney General Lanny Breuer, his deputy and other DOJ officials were heavily involved in this fiasco according to the sipseystreetregulars blog. ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson and the ATF Asst Director Mark Chait were also boots-on-the-ground in Mexico with this project. ATF’s Mexico City attaché Darren Gil had vehemently objected to “walking” thousands of guns into Mexico, without the Mexican government’s knowledge or agreement, and was overruled by Breuer. . .” Hillary Clinton and the DOJ and ATF “knew” her recent TIRADE “for” gun control against “legal” American gun owners was a BALD-FACED LIE. She and Bill have been trying to pass gun confiscation laws for the NWO since his personally directing WACO. You can BET that if Americans didn’t have so many guns (our liberties being stripped by Congress’ unconstitutional laws), it wouldn’t be long before we’d be rounded up for the FEMA prison camps…and they INTEND to do it. Congress works for the globalist NWO, not U.S. citizens. Like Flag teehee 19 hours ago Amazing!! Like Flag clydemertz 19 hours ago We definitely don't want to make Mexico angry. The Mexican drug cartels might make a full out attack on our southwest states. After all the cartels have nothing to fear since they know that Obama wouldn't allow our border guards to fight back. Like Flag jbombelli 20 hours ago According to Grassley, the heads of the FBI, ATF, DEA, Organized Crime Drug Task Force, all of the US Attorneys from the Southwest US, and the Chair of the Attorney General Advisory Committee all had a meeting about this particular operation in October, 2009. There is no way a meeting of this magnitude took place, and Obama, Holder, Clinton, etc. didn't know. NO WAY. And a few months later they have the gall to stand up before the American people and point to all the weapons going to Mexico and blame American gun stores and American gun laws. Obama and Holder are directly responsible for the murder of Agent Terry, and who knows how many others. I call for impeachment. I'm not usually one to call for that, but in this case it's warranted. Thousands of felonies were committed in this case with their express permission. Like 4 people liked this. Flag beentough 22 hours ago Gun running is illegal so lets flood the market that will stop illegal gun running = marijuana is illegal so lets legalize it that will stop marijuana use Like 1 person liked this. Flag caserick 1 day ago Its time to get real. Obama, Holder and Napalotanio all kew and didn't think anyone would catch on to what they were doing. Now they must be held in contemp and impeached. Obama has never led anything, Biden keeps getting into the headlines, because Obama just doesn't know what to do and probably doesn't care to find out. He is having to much fun flying and vacationing around the world. These three amigos must be held responsible for their actions and made to stand before the American public and shown the door. Of course after they have served time. Like 4 people liked this. Flag skspls 13 hours ago in reply to caserick ...and tried for treason!! Like Flag last1 22 hours ago in reply to caserick Right on. The arrogance of these 3 steps you back. Biden is obama's deflector. These people are playing quite a game, world wide. The bl ood is their's because they continue refuse to protect our citizens on the border. Everything they do causes me to question and the answers lead to trea son. Like 1 person liked this. Flag Jerry Reed 1 day ago in reply to caserick You are forgetting Hillary and her small arms treaty push in the UN Like 2 people liked this. Flag Show more comments … Load more commentsShow all comments Real-time updating is enabled. You must login to comment. 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All rights reserved. All market data delayed 20 minutes. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/06/15/house-panel-slams-fast-and-furious-gun-operation-tied-to-border-agents-death/#ixzz1PYlg58KR


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