2 years ago
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(CNN)Here's a look astatine Operation Fast and Furious. From 2009-2011, the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), on with different partners, allowed amerciable weapon income successful bid to way the sellers and purchasers, who were believed to beryllium connected to Mexican cause cartels.
Facts
During the Fast and Furious investigation, astir 2,000 firearms were illegally purchased for $1.5 million, according to a DOJ inspector General report. Hundreds of guns were aboriginal recovered successful the United States and Mexico.
In 2010, 2 of the weapons linked to Fast and Furious turned up adjacent the country of the execution of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry successful the Arizona desert.
Whistleblowing led to investigations by the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. During the House investigation, Attorney General Eric Holder was cited for contempt.
Fast and Furious was 1 of the operations nether Project Gunrunner, portion of the Department of Justice's broader National Southwest Border Counternarcotics Strategy.
Timeline
October 31, 2009 - Phoenix-based ATF agents get a extremity from a section weapon store astir suspicious purchases of battle rifles by 4 individuals. The agents statesman investigating whether the individuals were "straw purchasers" moving for a large-scale amerciable weapon trafficking organization. The probe aboriginal comes to beryllium known arsenic Operation Fast and Furious.
December 14, 2010 - Terry is killed during a shootout successful the Arizona desert. Five of the men progressive successful the shootout are aboriginal convicted of murder. One subordinate is aboriginal convicted connected conspiracy and firearms offenses successful transportation with the killing. The past fishy is arrested successful 2017 and awaiting trial.
January 25, 2011 - The US Attorney's bureau successful Arizona announces that 34 suspects person been indicted for firearms trafficking from the United States to Mexico. The DOJ inspector wide aboriginal reports that 20 of the defendants were caught via Fast and Furious.
January 27, 2011 - Senator Chuck Grassley of the Senate Judiciary Committee sends a missive to Kenneth Melson, acting manager of the ATF, regarding the agency's firearms trafficking probe and allegations that the ATF allowed hundreds of battle weapons to beryllium smuggled to Mexico. He notes that 2 of the guns whitethorn person been utilized by Terry's killers.
March 3, 2011 - Melson announces the enactment of a sheet to "review the bureau's existent firearms trafficking strategies employed by tract part managers and peculiar agents."
April 1, 2011 - The House Oversight Committee issues a subpoena for ATF documents.
May 3, 2011 - Holder testifies earlier the House Judiciary Committee. He says that helium archetypal heard of Fast and Furious lone implicit the past fewer weeks.
November 8, 2011 - Holder testifies earlier the Senate Judiciary Committee. "This cognition was flawed successful its conception and flawed successful its execution.," helium says.
June 20, 2012 - Republicans connected the House Oversight Committee urge that Holder beryllium cited for contempt of Congress for failing to crook implicit documents relating to Fast and Furious. They marque the proposal aft President Barack Obama asserts enforcement privilege implicit immoderate documents sought by the committee.
June 28, 2012 - The House of Representatives votes 255-67 to clasp Holder successful transgression contempt of Congress. This is the archetypal clip successful American past that the caput of the Justice Department has been held successful contempt by Congress.
July 31, 2012 - The archetypal of a three-part associated Congressional study is released. The study prompts the resignation of William Hoover, the lawman manager of the ATF.
August 13, 2012 - The House Oversight Committee files a civilian suit against Holder over Fast and Furious documents. On January 19, 2016, a national justice orders the DOJ to merchandise thousands of pages of documents.
January 2013 - Although not contiguous astatine the shootout that resulted successful Terry's murder, Rito Osorio-Arellanes is sentenced to 8 years successful prison aft pleading blameworthy to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery.
November 3, 2014 - Under tribunal order, the Justice Department turns implicit astir 65,000 pages of Fast and Furious-related documents. The documents were antecedently withheld nether the Obama administration's assertion of enforcement privilege.
October 19, 2015 - Rosario Rafael Burboa-Alvarez is sentenced to 27 years successful situation aft pleading blameworthy to archetypal grade execution successful Terry's death.
May 8, 2019 - The House and the Justice Department denote to a national appeals tribunal that they reached a colony successful the Operation Fast and Furious tribunal lawsuit connected April 10, 2019. In the deal, some sides authorities that they are abandoning their appeals and suit contempt disagreeing with the anterior court's orders.
January 31, 2020 - Favela-Astorga is extradited to the US.
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