The media sure loves a good scandal and it seems the United States government providing guns to Mexican drug cartels is popular enough to warrant coverage overseas. It also seems the Mexican government is curious about the United States latest shenanigans:
Mexico has asked the US for detailed information on a law enforcement operation that allegedly allowed guns to be smuggled across the border.
The request follows media reports that US federal agents allowed hundreds of guns to be smuggled into Mexico in the hope of tracking the weapons to drug cartel leaders.
Some of the guns were reportedly later used in crimes including murder.
US Attorney General Eric Holder has already ordered an inquiry.
This is what government is good at, creating problems and then claiming their necessity to fix them. The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) created a problem by smuggling guns into Mexico that demanded emergency powers in order to correct the issue. I wish I could create problems at work just so I could fix them and be considered awesome for doing it. Of course if I did that I’d be fired and rightfully so. You also have to enjoy the irony in this paragraph:
The ATF reportedly allowed 1,765 guns to be smuggled into Mexico over a 15 month period, including assault weapons and high-powered sniper rifles.
Of those guns, 797 were recovered on both sides of the border.
Many are thought to have been used in crimes, including two that were recovered at the scene of the killing of a US border protection agent in Arizona.
Wow the ATF is busy if they trafficked 1,765 guns into Mexico. Then again I’m sure they don’t have to explain to the border guards why they’re smuggling 100 guns into Mexico so it’s probably pretty easy. Likewise it’s ironic that the weapon used to kill the border agent was supplied by the very government that employed him. With friends like that who needs enemies.