ATF Busts Real Housewives Buying Guns for Cartels

[jpak]

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2012/02/09/atf-busts-gun-running-moms-in-texas/?test=latestnews

U.S. federal authorities busted an alleged gun smuggling ring that employed young housewives and older moms to purchase assault rifles for smugglers taking guns to Mexican drug cartels.

More than 200 weapons, including AK-47s and sniper rifles, were seized and 22 people have been arrested. Many are accused of being so-called "straw buyers" — gun shoppers without prior criminal records who legitimately buy from licensed dealers, then hand the weapons to smugglers.

During a news conference in San Antonio, the Justice Department trumpeted the arrests as a "big hit" in stopping the flow of guns to Mexico. The same agency was left beleaguered following Operation Fast and Furious, in which federal agents in Arizona tried tracking guns suspected of being bought by straw purchasers.

That operation erupted into controversy when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lost track of thousands of weapons, two of which turned up at an Arizona shootout where a Customs and Border Protection agent was killed.

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But...but....but...we have been told there is no gun runnin' from Texas gun shops.

never mind

yup

[petronius]

1. It's too bad ATF didn't focus on this sort of investigation in the first place,

back when shops were calling in about suspected straw sales, instead of pushing ahead with that ill-fated F & F scheme. I wonder how many more busts like this they could have achieved over the past few years, if the agency had behaved responsibly...

[gejohnston]

2. did the guns cross the border?

If not, good job ATF. We never said it did not exist, just not to the degree your side claims. I doubt they were AKs. AK knockoffs. What is a sniper rifle in this context? Any bolt action with a scope? If so, someone better tell Ed Schultz and Ron Kuby about their hunting rifles.

One correction

gun shoppers without prior criminal records who legitimately buy from licensed dealers, then hand the weapons to smugglers.

straw purchasing is a federal crime regardless, so they did not legitimately buy them.

[rl6214]

3. "But...but....but...we have been told there is no gun runnin' from Texas gun shops. "

Where? I would like to see that, please cite your source or I call BS.

[jpak]

4. The Gungeon Memory Hole claims another victim

sigh

yup

[rl6214]

5. NOPE, no one has ever said there is NO gun running involving gun shops in Texas SO

your post is bullshit.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

22. yeah, but try to get a jury to hide it and give it 5 points --- lol

and you would probably get the 5 points for calling bullshit.

[aikoaiko]

10. Clearly is it is your hole.

edited to add: And don't confuse this issue with the false claim/insinuation that US residents are buying machine gun, grenades and rockets from border state FFL gun shops and then smuggling them over to Mexico. I realize that many benighted anti-rkba types can't really make that distinction, but its really important.

[ellisonz]

6. Good thing they passed those...

...background checks. Nope, couldn't have been prevented.

[aikoaiko]

11. They weren't prohibited under law. What changes to the NICS would you make?

[Atypical Liberal]

16. You're right, they couldn't have been prevented.

The fact of the matter is, no matter how many legal hoops, checks, licenses, or whatnot you require a person to obtain, if they can obtain them then they can buy firearms and sell them illegally for a profit.

This sort of crime will always exist.

[ileus]

7. More proof that drugs and people are the problem.

These people victimize our firearms and 2A rights and should be punished. Not to be confused with punish a object...

[aikoaiko]

8. Who told you that there was "no gun runnin' from Texas gun shops"?

I know it wasn't anyone here.

[aikoaiko]

9. This is how you do it. Catch them before the guns get shipped over.

Don't let them cross over without any means of tracking and wait for a border agent to be killed.

[PavePusher]

12. A few points:

1. "purchase assault rifles" - No, they were not "assault rifles". The rifles pictured were clearly semi-auto-only models. Lies and fear-mongering by a biased press.

2. "we have been told there is no gun runnin' from Texas gun shops" - Cite, please. I don't believe you. Anyway, what you insinuate (that the gun shops are knowing, willing participants and facilitators) has not been demonstrated. These were 'straw purchases' by people who can pass the state and federal background checks. Please explain how the stores are legally responsible for straw purchasers breaking the law.

3. "More than 200 weapons, including AK-47s and sniper rifles..." "sniper rifles"? Really? What's the defining criteria there? What's the differentiation from quality hunting or target-shooting rifles?

4. Just over 200 rifles.... yeah, scrambling for any distraction away from their previous fucktardery. Whatever.

[jeepnstein]

13. Straw buying is a crime.

It's good to see ATFE doing it's job on such things.

I wonder if the State Department is still doing it's direct sales program? I can't find much on the internet about it lately.

[SteveW]

19. ...but straw posting isn't. nt

[AtheistCrusader]

14. Surely you can cite a post where someone said 'NO' gun running from gun shops.

other than your own posts, of course.

[Atypical Liberal]

15. I'm glad they were caught.

This is the sort of thing that the BATFE is supposed to be doing.

I have no doubt that there are people who straw-purchase firearms. This is against the law and people who break this law should be punished for it.

But I refuse to allow law-abiding firearm owners like myself to be punished for it.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

17. Somehow...

...I think there's a reality TV series in this.

[Remmah2]

18. Snookie and the girls from Jersey Shore? nt

nt

[ileus]

20. Why do women always have to ruin a good thing.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

23. ouch

[BiggJawn]

21. "Sniper Rifle"=Anything w/a scope on it.

Somebody saw "Enemy at the Gate" too many times...

[Remmah2]

24. About time the ATF got off their asses and did something right.

Funny how you ignored the ATF when they were helping arm the criminals.