Mexico: Gun controversy between US and Mexico

The News

Opinion

Gunwalking allegations
By Ricardo Castillo The News

Mexico’s Attorney General Arturo Chávez has denied any knowledge of Operation Fast and Furious and so has U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Holder went as far as saying that “gunwalking …would not be acceptable.”

Yet on March 3, just hours after Calderón and Obama had given each other an amigo embrace, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agent, John Dodson, went on the air on CBS news to confirm what was until then, hearsay, that under the covert operation, over 2,000 legally-acquired assault weapons had been smuggled into Mexico, authorized by higher authorities in both nations.

“I was ordered to let U.S. guns into Mexico,” Dodson told CBS, and also that Operation Fast and Furious continues to this day.

Last Friday, the U.S. Embassy issued a “clarification” which makes the issue even more confusing, as it says “the alleged transfer of arms to Mexican territory at this point is exactly that – an allegation.”

The U.S. Embassy release says there were meetings between Mexican and U.S. agents on the issue. “The briefings that took place between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement focused on operations on U.S. territory to crack down on trafficking operations.”

But it is clear that guns did filter across the border and because of that Holder ordered an investigation of the ATF operation by the Inspector General.

The fact is, contradictions abound in this hot topic, and somebody is lying.


http://www.thenews.com.mx/index.php/opinion/O02-7847.htm