Darren Gil, the former attache for ATF in Mexico City, apologized Tuesday to his Mexican counterparts for Operation Fast and Furious, the ATF program that encouraged gun dealers to sell to straw purchasers, with the hopes of tracing the guns to Mexican cartels. ATF lost track of many of the guns, some which have showed up at crime scenes.
“As former head of ATF in Mexico, I would like to apologize to my former Mexican law enforcement counterparts and the people of Mexico for Fast and Furious, ” Gil testified Tuesday before a hearing on the operation before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in Washington.
“I hope they understand it was kept secret from me and my colleagues and unfortunately the results of this operation is that the Mexican people will continue to suffer the consequences of narco related firearms violence.
“To put it bluntly, it’s inconceivable in my mind and in the mind of any competent agent to allow firearms to disappear at all. Further more, it’s even more inconceivable that a competent agent would allow firearms to cross (an) international border, knowing that they were designated for the worst of the worst criminals in the western hemisphere.”
Gil was the first of several witnesses to testify Tuesday morning.
Witnesses also offered condolences to the family of Brian Terry, the Arizona U.S. Border Patrol Agent who was killed last December. Two guns from the Fast and Furious Operation were found at the scene.
Committee members expressed frustration and near disgust at the testimony of William Newell, the former head of the Arizona, ATF, who admitted the operation had flaws, but the agency did not “walk guns.” Newell continually said he should have conducted more “risk assessment” when conducting the operation to better pinpoint problems.
He said he would do several things differently if he did it again.
Rep. Darrell Issa said that Newell was entitled to his opinions, but not the facts.
Carlos Canino, ATF Acting Attaché to Mexico, expressed his disgust about the investigation and spoke of the hurt he felt when ATF agents told him they were embarrassed to carry an ATF badge after publicity surfaced about Fast and Furious.
