Despite corroboration by CBS News of allegations by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) agents that monitored guns were allowed to be smuggled into their country by agency managers, the Mexican government has chosen not to address any of the specific charges in its reaction to the report:
Ricardo Alday, spokesman for the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. said Mexico intends to continue to work with the U.S. to enhance intelligence and information sharing, and that Mexico "will continue to encourage more aggressive interdiction efforts on the U.S. side of the border."
Why the public evasion? Especially since we can extrapolate that Mexican nationals have paid a price in blood for the “Project Gunwalker”* gun monitoring operation gone awry:
What we don't know yet, because the ATF and the Justice Department are unwilling to tell us, are the names of the faceless dead of other people in Mexico killed with rifles of similar provenance, provided them by SAC Newell and friends in the Phoenix ATF office.
“Mexican Government is hip to Bandidos Gabachos as long as they carry ATF badges, apparently,” Mike Vanderboegh of Sipsey Street Irregulars concludes.
And yet the Mexican government had been informed of the allegations long before the CBS News report surfaced, personally by Vanderboegh, who has issued follow-up information releases both to them as well as members of the Mexican press throughout his investigation of this story.
So why the deliberate indifference?
Possibly, it’s because they want to minimize scrutiny of their own corrupt role in arming cartels:
A Mexican army officer assigned to guard President Felipe Calderon leaked military intelligence to drug cartels, trained hit men and supplied military weapons to Los Zetas, according to a U.S. Embassy cable recently released by Wikileaks.
There’s another piece of the puzzle for that State Department tie-in mentioned the other day that could expand the Grassley Senate investigation.
St. Louis Gun Rights ExaminerKurt Hofmann makes a particularly relevant observation about timing:
As Charlotte Gun Rights Examiner Paul Valone pointed out in private correspondence, that U.S. Embassy cable is dated January, 2009, meaning that when, a couple months later, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton blamed violence in Mexico on "[o]ur inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals," she was well aware that the drug syndicates were not depending on the U.S. commercial gun market for their weapons.
So Hillary knew at the time that Calderon’s own inner circle was neck-deep in profiteering from cartel connections and military arms supplying. As did Calderon, of course, who still continued to demand a ban on semiautomatic firearms be imposed against United States citizens.
Information about Calderon’s inner circle being involved would also have been known by William Hoover, ATF’s Assistant Director for Field Operations and Anthony P. Placido, DEA’s Assistant Administrator for Intelligence Division, at the time of their statement before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommitee on Crime and Drugs, concerning “Law enforcement responses to Mexican drug cartels,” presented March 17, 2009 (over a week before Clinton’s statement on the situation).
Yet here is what Hoover and Placido told the subcommittee, while testifying "the greatest proportion of firearms trafficked to Mexico originate out of the U.S. along the southwest border":
Internationally, the Department enjoys a strong collaborative relationship with law enforcement and other government agencies within Mexico and throughout the world. The Department would not have achieved the success it has without the remarkable support and courageous actions of the Mexican government.
A few questions:
Was that joint agency statement provided under oath?
In re testifying about “a strong collaborative relationship,” will investigations find that a decision to keep the Mexican government uniformed about “gun walking” operations was already either under discussion or in practice (note that Jaime Avila, who purchased the weapons found at Border Patrol agent Brian Terry’s murder scene, was documented as being under government surveillance in late 2009)?
Noting tie-ins not only with the highest levels in both the Justice and State Departments, as well as within his own government with its ruthless cartel connections, is it any wonder the Mexican spokesman didn’t want to say any more than he did?
Also see:
- A journalist’s guide to ‘Project Gunwalker' for a complete list with links of independent investigative reporting and commentary done to date by Sipsey Street Irregulars and Gun Rights Examiner.
*Note to newcomers to this story: “Project Gunrunner” is the name ATF assigned to its Southwest Border Initiative to interdict gun smuggling to Mexico. “Project Gunwalker” is the name I assigned to the scandal after allegations by agents that monitored guns were allowed to fall into criminal hands on both sides of the border through a surveillance process termed “walking” surfaced.
------------
Help wanted--inquire within
Regular readers: If you agree that mainstream press coverage of the gun rights issue demands a counter-balance, please help me spread the word by sharing Gun Rights Examiner links with your friends via emails, and in online discussion boards, blogs, etc. (Also note “Share” options, below.) Then get more commentary at The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance.
Comments
"Why the public evasion? Especially since we can extrapolate that Mexican nationals have paid a price in blood…"
Yeah, but, you know, nobody actually IMPORTANT (to the people on top).
"Was that joint agency statement provided under oath?"
You keep saying that. An oath isn't a truth serum or a magic spell. Intelligence, state department, undercover LEO… a big chunk of all government employees specifically LIE FOR A LIVING. An oath stops these people about as effectively as a school zone stops a spree murderer.
http://tinyurl.com/64qfy6a
No, of course it's not magic. What it is is a means to prosecute IF it's in the interests of those with the power to do so.
So you're helping generate "or else" pressure to make that IF happen, right?
Mexico is as anti-gun as Obama. ATF must have asked the Mexicans if they could drop off a few hundred rifles in order to get some good press for gun control in the US, and the Mexicans must have said, "Why not? What's not to like?"
ATF then gets to make the bogus case for more gun control and the Mexicans continue to shoot up the border and collect on the ever-profitiable drug business. Again, what's not to like?
www.williamlafferty.com
I read this article and immediately smelled something fishy regarding the agenda. It all became absolutely clear when I realized that Mr. Codrea is a gun rights activist. LOL Jeez...you guys are capable of the most breathtaking feats of journalistic gymnastics to promote your twisted ideals...oh well, that's the US for you. I really shouldn't expect anything less.
What was your first clue, Sherlock? That this column is clearly labeled "Gun Rights Examiner"? LOL Jeez. What an idiot.
Go ahead and let your ignorance keep you from looking at the truth and make pronouncments without knowing what you're talking about. Typical "progressive". Works out better for us anyway, from a strictly SunTzu point of view.
When you look at Project Gun Walker from a drug cartel perspective it is quite advantageous to them. WITH THE CONSENT of the US quality semi-auto weapons are being imported without problem. This helps the cartels become more powerful, possibly to the point where they will be the sole controlling force in that country.
Question is, how do those US politicians supporting the ATF project ultimately profit from all this? Is it all just attaining a political agenda or are there other profits to be made?
But then again, what do I know. Move along, nothing to see here...move along!
It is certainly not a stretch to think that Caldrone knows all about the ATF's operation. I'm sure there are daily communications between DC and Mexico City.
abolish the batfe!take our liberties back!
"¡Pobre México! ¡Tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de los Estados Unidos!" (Poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the United States!) -- Commonly attributed to Mexican President Porfirio Diaz (b.1830 - d. 1915) but not verifiably according to one of his biographers
The above is an example of a phenomenon common in most of Latin America, but especially in Mexico. At one point in its history, Mexico had a thriving economy that compared favorably with those of world powers such as France. But like its neighbors such as Cuba and Venezuela, Mexico has seen better days. Like it's neighbors, Mexico has developed the habit of blaming all of it's troubles on los gringos in el norte. It's far easier to come up with blame and excuses than solutions.
A lot of faces with egg on them and too many hands caught in the cookie jar.
Follow the money.
Well David it looks like you and Mike may have stepped into a great big pile of corruption.
Mexico whines that US gun laws are to lax but looks the other way when its discovered the people with the purse strings are the biggest suppliers of guns into their country.
Absolute corruption corrupts absolutely and sadly the people pay the price.
David this story of yours makes me wonder just how many government officials from both countries benefit from the flow of illegal drugs.
I once heard Catherine Austin Fitts say that so much illegal drug money flows through the Banking system that it if the flow was ever stopped in would destroy pension plans around the globe.
Could all of this be about…MONEY?
YES!!!
Why would the Mexican government care if the US government was supplying the Mexican drug cartels with guns ... so they can kill more Mexicans and Americans.
After all it's all for a good cause helping Obama take down the second Amendment.
In the name of peace for millions of mexicans, it will be a good decision of Calderon to stay in USA. He, Obama and their intervention plan (Merida ) have produced more than 40000 deads, most of these non-investigated. However, if USA intensions are to erradicated the plague of your backyard, have compasion and better to drop the bomb for a massive masacre. In Mexico, children having traces of hope are everyday killed sadistically. While USA treats nicely and with silk hands to their drug bussinesmen and top mexican patners. Very funny!!
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!