In last month’s JBP / MASTER’S HOLSTERS Newsletter we highlighted the growing controversy over ATF’s “Project Gunrunner” and “Operation Fast & Furious” allegedly allowing US weapons into Mexico with the purpose of “seeing where they will end up”. Things got complicated when those weapons were found to be involved in fatal shooting of  two US agents in Mexico: Agent Brian Terry and Agent Jamie Zapata..

This month we try to sum up the developments with links to sources.

  In a CBS report last month, an AZ gun dealer interviewed said when he reported suspicious straw purchases to the ATF he was repeatedly told by ATF to complete the sale. The report also featured a “whistleblower” ATF agent John Dodson who claimed that he was "ordered" to allow US guns smuggled into Mexico. (Watch the CBS video here).

Reportedly, the Mexican government is very upset over the mounting evidence pointing toward involvement of the US Government in smuggling of semi automatic rifles into Mexico.

President Obama denied any prior knowledge of Project Gunrunner by himself and by Eric Holder on Spanish Language Univision TV (Read interview here). There is no comment from DOJ or AG Eric Holder so far.

 Sen. Charles Grassley (R) and Rep. Darrell Issa (R) are aggressively pursuing the Administration to come forward with documentation and explanations. In a letter sent to Secretary Clinton Rep. Issa is increasingly critical of the “non-response” from the administration. (Read Darrell Issa's letter here).

Wayne Lapierre, CEO of the NRA ,  suggested on Glenn Beck radio show ( watch / read here )  that “Project Gunrunner” and “Operation Fast & Furious” may have been conducted deliberately to justify Secretary Clinton’s remarks in 2009 that “America's insatiable demand for illegal drugs and its inability to stop weapons from being smuggled into Mexico are fueling an alarming spike in violence along the U.S.-Mexican border.” (read Sec.. Clinton's remarks here) .  Many posts on several blogs go even further claiming that Project Gunrunner was conducted to set the stage for tougher US gun laws.

     Conservative columnist Michelle Malkin is stating that over $10 million dollars from the Stimulus were channeled to fund the project, with more on the way. (read Malkin's column here).  

The official ATF website now has a page dedicated to Project Gunrunner, which states: “Project Gunrunner’s objective is to deny Mexican drug cartels the tools of the trade, which they employ to murder rival drug traffickers, civilians, as well as political, military, and law enforcement figures in order to strengthen their grip on the lucrative drug and firearms routes into and out of the United States.” (go to the ATF website here) 

This controversy is gaining momentum and it has all the ingredients to turn into a full scale scandal in the coming days.