Northern Colorado Gazette

By Mike Bauman

Emails released this week by congressional investigators have revealed that an unnamed firearms dealer involved in the ATF’s Project Gun Runner had repeatedly expressed concerns about participating in the program.

Project Gun Runner was an ATF operation that allowed illegal straw purchases of firearms in the US that were then smuggled into Mexico.  The goal of the operation was to identify and arrest senior members of international gun trafficking groups.

In the emails, which were addressed to lead ATF case agent, David Voth, the dealer expressed concern that “I want to make sure that none of the firearms that were sold per our conversation with you and various ATF agents could or would ever end up south of the border or in the hands of the bad guys.”  The dealer also expressed concerns about the safety of federal officers.  “I want to help the ATF with this investigation but not at the risk of agents’ safety, because I have some very close friends that are US Border Patrol agents in southern AZ.”

Three guns sold in Operation Gun Runner have since been found at the scenes of the murders of two US agents.

Lead officials at the Justice Department and White House have denied any knowledge of the program.  The congressional investigation continues.

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