From the AP, by way of
Strib:
New Mexico border town abolishes police force in latest fallout from gun smuggling probe
The village Board of Trustees voted to abolish the department on July 7.
The next day, jailed former trustee Blas Guitierrez submitted his letter of resignation.
He is one of 12 people who were arrested in March for their alleged roles in a gun smuggling ring. Former Mayor Eddie Espinoza and former police chief Angelo Vega are among those charged.
DEMING, N.M. - A New Mexico border town has abolished its police department in the wake of a gun smuggling case that involves the former mayor and police chief.The village of Columbus will now rely on the Luna County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement. Sheriff Raymond Cobos tells the Deming Headlight that his deputies have always patrolled the area anyway and he'll shift resources to cover the village.
So.....it isn't just a problem for the feds....but this does argue for the assertion that U.S. guns are supplied, in significant quantity, to Mexico, especially in conjunction with drug activity.
Were these arrests as a result of Operation GunWalker/Fast and Furious?
ReplyDeleteShhhhh! We're not to talk about Operation Gunwalker on this blog. If we don't talk about it, we can continue to pretend that it does not exist.
ReplyDeleteShhh..don't tell Anon:
ReplyDeletehttp://mikeb302000.blogspot.com/2011/07/fast-furious-faux-fallacies.html
Shssssss..... don's ask JadeGold the tough questions....
ReplyDeleteDid Fast & Furious violate the Arms Export Control Act?
http://armsandthelaw.com/archives/2011/07/did_fast_furiou.php
First, the Arms Export Control Act, 22 USC §2778.. It authorizes the President to define defense articles and regulate their export. In so doing, he must consider the possibility that export could "support international terrorism, increase the possibility of outbreak or escalation of conflict..."
Those defense articles may not be exported without a permit, issued by the Secretary of State ( Department of State guidelines here), "except that no license shall be required for exports or imports made by or for an agency of the United States Government
(A) for official use by a department or agency of the United States Government, or
(B) for carrying out any foreign assistance or sales program authorized by law and subject to the control of the President by other means."
The firearms involved here were not being exported for official use by an agency, nor as part of foreign aid. This a lot narrower than the GCA exception for acts by a government agency, and for good reason: the purpose of this statute is to control executive agency actions. No gun running to foreign governments or persons without a paper trail (and in cases of large transactions, a prior request for Congressional approval).
Did BATFE ask for specific permission to do this.
Any person who willfully violates these provisions "shall upon conviction be fined for each violation not more than $1,000,000 or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both."
There have been some reports of agents having directly transferred firearms to drug cartel buyers, in order to boost their "street creds." That'd clearly be a violation. In other situations, the person who actually exported the firearms would be in clear violation. But what of those government supervisors who allowed the arms to flow -- especially the cases where a protesting FFL was told to sell the guns anyway?
18 U.S. Code §2 provides:
"§ 2. Principals
(a) Whoever commits an offense against the United States or aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures its commission, is punishable as a principal.
(b) Whoever willfully causes an act to be done which if directly performed by him or another would be an offense against the United States, is punishable as a principal."
So JadeGold, will the offending parties be punished for violating the Arms Export Control Act?
Or is all fair in love and violating the law as long as a Dem administration is doing it?
The really "fast and furious" are the legions of pro-gun writers who are striving to associate the fuck-ups of the ATF with the entire gun control movement.
ReplyDeleteThis incredible effort on their part attempts to redirect the focus from them and their complicity in the gun violence problem in America, both above and below the Mexican border.
But, alas, like many another smoke-and-mirrors trick, it is doomed to fail.