Pistol purchased by ATF agent found at alleged cartel crime scene in Mexico
CBS News has learned that two guns found in the area of a recent Mexican drug cartel shootout have been linked to Fast and Furious: One trafficked by a suspect in the case, and the other purchased by a federal agent.
Mexican beauty queen Susana Flores Maria Gamez and four others died in the brutal gun battle between Sinaloa cartel members and the Mexican military in November. CBS News has learned that an FN Herstal pistol recovered near the crime scene in November was originally purchased by an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) manager who was faulted by the Inspector General in Operation Fast and Furious: George Gillett. Gillett was the Asst. Special Agent in Charge of ATF Phoenix when Fast and Furious began.
The Herstal pistol is nicknamed a "cop-killer" because of its designation as a "weapon of choice" for Mexican drug cartels. CBS News has learned the Inspector General planned to question Gillett today after a hastily-opened inquiry to determine how this agent's personal weapon got into the hands of suspected cartel members.
CBS News spoke to Gillett, who is still employed at ATF. Gillett acknowledged he once owned the weapon in question, but says he sold it in Phoenix sometime last year after advertising it on the Internet. He declined to provide the name of the man who bought it, but says he went "above and beyond" what was required by law to complete the firearms transaction. That included asking the purchaser to fill out a form giving personal information and stating that he was in the U.S. legally; and checking his driver's license, which Gillett said was issued in the U.S.
"I didn't do anything criminal," said Gillett, who calls himself a gun enthusiast. "I've been a gun collector all my life."
He told CBS News that he ran into financial difficulties in recent years and sold some of his firearms. Gillett says the Herstal pistol may have sold for approximately $1,100.
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) wrote a letter (PDF) to the Inspector General late today asking for an urgent investigation. Grassley included records from three of Gillett's gun purchases, so-called Form 4473's, and says that Gillett appears to have provided false information on them.
"Lying on a Form 4473 is a felony and can be punished by up to five years in prison," Grassley's letter states. The senator also points out that's the same alleged violation that suspects in ATF's Fast and Furious operation were arrested for. "Jaime Avila, Jr. recently plead guilty to a variety of charges" in Fast and Furious, including "for giving a false address on Form 4473."
Form 4473's require purchasers to list their current residential address. Gillett's gun purchase forms incorrectly list the local ATF Phoenix office and a shopping plaza as his personal residence, according to Grassley's letter.
Gillett did not comment on allegations about the address on the forms.
In a related development, as CBS News reported yesterday, another weapon recovered in the same area after the shootout in which the beauty queen was killed, had been trafficked by Fast and Furious suspect Uriel Patino.
how many times does ATF need to "screw the pooch" before it is dissolved? They used to be simply incompetent, now they are both incompetent AND corrupt
Sorry, but Obama inherited William Newell, William McMahon, George Gillet and their history of bad judgment and, frankly, illegal practices, from a previous administration.
So our president sold illegally, firearms to murderous criminals under the guise of operation "Fast and Furious", for the purpose of demonizing guns. People were murdered using these firearms, but no one would have been harmed had the guns been sold legally. Now after another school shooting that was probably the result of SSRI medication our President want's to take away the right for our citizens to own guns legally. I really hope this nations citizens aren't stupid enough to allow this to continue.
This is for "commonsense": You think Issa is trying to make Obama, Holder, and his Chicago thug buddies look bad? No...they do that well enough all by themselves. Amazing how fast Obama jumped on this story, but what I'd like to know is why he didn't act as quickly the night Ambassador Stevens and the other three men were murdered in Bengazi. Maybe it's bc he and his thugs are totally in over their heads, but as long as he can promise "free this" and "free that", folks like you will follow him anywhere...just like lemmings.
Obama sets up a gun violence task force? Gee, that's convenient, isn't it? I mean, here is a pres very well known for his antigun policies, hailing from Chicago, Ill, the most corrupt politically run antigun state in the Union, and HE is selecting members for this task force? I think we all know how this is going to go.
I'm surprised the background on this page isn't turning brown. I've never seen so much b.s. in my life. Or you poor suckers think congressman issa is really on some righteous path - which he is not!! Him and the repugs are playing just as dirty and back handed as they can to make Eric Holder and President Obama look bad. This investigation has nothing to do with finding the "truth". And saying President Obama is giving weapons to the mexican cartel is right up there with the biggest lies I've heard in my life!!!! Go get a life and try being honest.
Typical liberal response, when you don't like the facts just proclaim them to be lies and stick your head back into the sand. People like your are the reason we have such corruption in government, you are perfectly happy with it and willing to defend the criminal perpetrators so long as they are YOUR criminal perps.
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Why is Obama trying to control OUR weapons, when his own agents CANNOT control THEIR weapons?
Question: Why are there no charges pending against this "agent"?
The ole war Horses of Washington of bth sides will not stop shaking the tree until all the nuts fall .
You chose your username well.
Now why don't YOU explain the positive aspects of the Obama regime "losing" a couple of thousand firearms over the border in Mexico.