Second violent crime linked to ATF gunwalking

By: Sharyl Attkisson
Topics: News

A second violent crime in Arizona has been linked to weapons from ATF's "gunwalking" operation: Fast and Furious. The first known crime was the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

Arizona state police revealed yesterday that two guns from Fast and Furious were found in an arrest involving two Mexican men who assaulted detectives outside Phoenix in 2010. Nobody was seriously hurt.

Fast and furious is the operation in which ATF allowed thousands of weapons to "walk" into the hands of suspected traffickers for Mexican drug cartels.

It's unclear why the year-old case and its link to Fast and Furious were revealed now, with the apparent blessing of ATF headquarters.

News of this case set off a wave of confusion among Congressional investigators who have tried unsuccessfully to identify additional violent crimes in the U.S. linked to which Fast and Furious. They say the Justice Department still hasn't told them about the 2010 Phoenix case, despite their ongoing written requests for such information.

In July, the Justice Department acknowledged Terry's death wasn't the only U.S. violent crime involving Fast and Furious weapons - it originally said there were 11 more -- but refused to provide Congress any details. Then, more than a month later on September 1, the Justice Department revised the number of cases downward from 11 to just two. Congressional investigators have doggedly pursued the Justice Department for information on the second mysterious case, but never received the information. Today, it's still unknown whether the new case is indeed the second case the Justice Department had referred to.

One Congressional investigator told CBS News: "We're no closer to finding out what the Justice Department knows about all the crimes committed" with Fast and Furious guns.

Sharyl Attkisson
Sharyl Attkisson is a CBS News investigative correspondent based in Washington. All of her stories, videos and blogs are available here.
Follow on Twitter »

21 Comments +

Add a Comment

See all 21 Comments


by forumcomments September 10, 2011 12:20 PM EDT: http://video.foxnews.com/v/1151445471001/new-allegations-of-cover-up-in-fast-and-furious-scandal; Reply to this comment


by warsux September 10, 2011 8:43 AM EDT: the ATF's funding will only go up. They funnel guns to the enemy so the war doesn't stop, and the feds keep the checks coming. Way to go guys! Disregard every one but yourselves. The war on drugs was lost before it started.; Reply to this comment

by kms1978 September 10, 2011 12:41 AM EDT

Holder needs to be fired over this. He needs to take accountability for this happening on his watch.

Reply to this comment


by Gimmeafb September 10, 2011 7:42 PM EDT: If Holder can yank the head of the ATF, I'd say it comes under his jurisdiction, wouldn't you? The fact that he put him in another "sensitive" position says a lot about his sincerity, doesn't it?

Read on, ronin, and learn, if you're able.

Attorney General Eric Holder announced on Tuesday that he's pulling Ken Melson out of his position as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to the Justice Department, Melson will take on the role of a "senior adviser" in the DOJ's Office of Legal Policy.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/08/30/eric-holder-removes-acting-atf-director-amid-fast-and-furious-scandal/#ixzz1Xb0zxQrm


by Gimmeafb September 11, 2011 4:08 PM EDT: Since Holder has the power to reassign Melson, he sure as heck does have some say over that department.


by djseavy September 9, 2011 9:04 PM EDT: The ATF is on its own side, the same as any other government agency. The people we pay to protect us and guard the country's assets are the very people who scandalize and look out only for themselves. Clearly, the government serves its own adjenda and ignores its constitutional duties to the citizens of the USA; Reply to this comment


by Gimmeafb September 9, 2011 8:58 PM EDT: Holder, you're doing a great job.

...just like Brown did with Katrina.; Reply to this comment


by mecanik-2009 September 9, 2011 8:37 PM EDT: What good is it to let these guns walk if you don't arrest them when they pick them up on the border. I don't see the master plan as anything that could have done any good. Maybe there wasn't a master plan at all.
In all seriousness though the drug cartels have other sources for guns if the easy way doesn't work. They could be brought in from 3rd world military arsenals or even manufactured right in Mexico in secret facilities. If we think we are going to stop them getting firearms to support the drug trade we're only kidding ourselves.; Reply to this comment

by jgg000101 September 9, 2011 5:04 PM EDT

ironic that these guns are being traced back to the atf and not the mexican cartels. If this scam hadn't been uncovered the NRA would have been sliced, diced, fileted, and grilled by now. I still want to know who's idea it was to arm our border agents with beanbags while we were arming the cartels with automatic weapons.

Reply to this comment


by vickyb99 September 9, 2011 9:37 PM EDT: Very simply, an answer to this question. O.B.A.M.A


by baf827 September 10, 2011 2:28 PM EDT: Gee Vicky, have you figured out a way to blame President Obama for hurricane Lee yet?


by samXXkiley September 9, 2011 4:46 PM EDT: coucou,
""""One Congressional investigator told CBS News: "We're no closer to finding out what the Justice Department knows about all the crimes committed" with Fast and Furious guns."""
==========
others knows and they will talk for sure
This will put the Ministry of Justice in trouble
and scandal will erupt
"au revoir"; Reply to this comment


by kenhamlett September 9, 2011 3:28 PM EDT: If they want to get to the bottom of this mess start convicting every agent who knew of the scheme. Since it was murder that they are complicit they should get life unless they name the persons above them that directed them to carry out the gun running scheme. There is no need to start at the bottom though. Every senior official is guilty so start there and see how far up the ladder it goes.; Reply to this comment

by credibility2 September 9, 2011 3:12 PM EDT

Will those involved at the ATF ever be charged criminally?

Reply to this comment


by askagain September 10, 2011 1:45 AM EDT: Certainly this went down poorly. Whether the government did anything criminally wrong is subject to debate. Government leaders enjoy certain immunities that the rest of us don't have. Perhaps, the worst that can be done to those involved is to fire them. Further, the Constitution empowers government leaders to excercise powers even if their actions prove disastrous.