Another, smaller probe occurred in 2007 under the same ATF Phoenix field division. It began when the ATF identified Mexican suspects who bought
weapons from a Phoenix gun shop over a span of several months. The probe ultimately involved over 200 guns, a dozen of which were lost in Mexico. On
September 27, 2007, ATF agents saw the original suspects buying weapons at the same store and followed them toward the Mexican border. The ATF
informed the Mexican government when the suspects successfully crossed the border, but Mexican law enforcement were unable to track
them.[4][10]
Less than two weeks later, on October 6, William Newell, then ATF's special agent in charge of the Phoenix field division, shut down the operation
at the behest of William Hoover, ATF's assistant director for the office of field operations.[27] No charges were filed. Newell, who was special agent
in charge from June 2006 to May 2011, would later play a major role in Operation Fast and Furious.[4][24]
en.wikipedia.org...
In 2007 operation wide receiver was no more and under the current adminstration it was restarted and renamed to fast and furious after knowing that
the previous attempt had failed and failed miserably. with the death of Terry that brought it to the national spotlight,
On October 26, 2009, a teleconference was held at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. to discuss U.S. strategy for combating Mexican
drug cartels. Participating in the meeting were Deputy Attorney General David W. Ogden, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer, ATF Director
Kenneth E. Melson, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Michele Leonhart, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Robert
Mueller and the top federal prosecutors in the Southwestern border states. They decided on a strategy to identify and eliminate entire arms
trafficking networks rather than low–level buyers.[3][28][29] Those at the meeting did not suggest using the "gunwalking" tactic, but ATF
supervisors would soon use it in an attempt to achieve the desired goals.[30] The effort, beginning in November, would come to be called Operation
Fast and Furious for the successful film franchise, because some of the suspects under investigation operated out of an auto repair store and street
raced.[3]
en.wikipedia.org...
The current adminstration and the current Potus and Holder own fast and furious and they were fully aware of what they were doing because every single
day the potus gets presidential daily briefings of who is doing what and where, and the significance of that is arms were being sold to the Mexican
cartels.
Everyone at the top knew this.
edit on 28-5-2012 by neo96 because: (no reason given)