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| Project Gunwalker: FL Rep Bilirakis Calls Out Holder on 'Fast and Furious |
| 2011-09-15 |
| Several lawmakers are questioning the Obama administration about whether the controversial "Fast and Furious" gunrunning probe may have had a cousin in Florida that resulted in guns being trafficked to Central America. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., penned a letter Tuesday to Attorney General Eric Holder and ATF Acting Director Kenneth Melson inquiring about a program known as "Operation Castaway." Other top lawmakers are also starting to look into it, though ATF claims the program was above board and not similar to Operation Fast and Furious at all. The Justice Department says Castaway was an anti-gun trafficking operation handled by an ATF division in Florida. It resulted last year in a slew of convictions for defendants the department claimed provided firearms linked to violent crimes around the world. But in light of questions surrounding the Fast and Furious probe out of ATF's Phoenix division, Bilirakis questioned whether Castaway bore the same suspicious hallmarks. Bilirakis expressed concern about reports that the strategy "may not have been limited to weapons trafficking to Mexico." He asked Holder and Melson whether "similar programs included the possible trafficking of arms to dangerous criminal gangs in Honduras with the knowledge of the ATF's Tampa Field Division" and a Justice Department office, via Castaway. Bilirakis' letter specifically asked whether the Tampa division participated in a "gun walking" scheme allowing guns to go to Honduras. He also asked whether ATF or DOJ know if any of the firearms ended up in the hands of the "notorious" MS-13 gang -- a violent gang spread across Central America, Mexico and the United States. Court documents from the Operation Castaway takedown claim that at least five firearms from the illegal sales of the main suspect ended up later being connected to crimes, several in Puerto Rico. One pistol was recovered in Colombia after being used in a homicide. But an ATF official told FoxNews.com that the investigation, which targeted Florida gun dealer Hugh Crumpler III, did not appear to be designed like Fast and Furious. Though Justice and ATF have not yet formally responded to Bilirakis, the official explained that ATF got involved in the Crumpler case after the fact, and was not using the investigation to track firearms sales across international lines. "We became involved with Crumpler at the first opportunity of realizing that criminal activity was afoot," the official said. "Once we were able to put our case together, establish probable cause ... then at that point, we did so at the soonest opportunity to stop the illegal activity." The official noted that the case is "complete," though two fugitives are still at large. Bilirakis apparently was alerted to Castaway by news reports, as well as calls received by his office. An article on Examiner.com initially claimed the Tampa division was "walking guns" to Honduras in a way similar to Fast and Furious. Bilirakis spokesman Creighton Welch said his boss saw the report, but also received "several calls from folks who I guess you could say were familiar with the situation in Tampa." He declined to go into further detail about where the tips were coming from. "We're placing a lot of firearms in potentially the wrong hands," Welch said. "There are a lot of unanswered questions for a potentially very dangerous situation." Press Release from Rep Biliarakis office |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #2 My prediction, the trail will ultimately lead the Central Intelligence Agency. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2011-09-15 17:14 |
| #1 I wonder if Holder dreams of buses? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-09-15 14:04 |