Earlier today Brian Terry’s family released a statement concerning the newest developments in the Operation Fast and Furious investigation. Not surprisingly they are not happy. Sharyl Attkisson at CBS News tweeted the statement.
“The Terry family, like most of America, is sickened to read the latest revelations relating to ATF’s error-plagued and misguided Fast and Furious investigation. It is beyond our comprehension that U.S. federal law enforcement agencies were not talking with one another. American citizens deserve better from their public servants; the FBI, DEA, ATF and U.S. Attorney personnel in Arizona should have been coordinating their investigative and prosecutorial efforts. This coordination should have started and continued with basic information sharing and deconfliction. One can only imagine that if the FBI, DEA, and U.S. Attorney personnel had only shared their information with ATF agents that the Miramontes brothers were FBI informants than the entire Fast and Furious debacle could have been avoided. Some 200 Mexican citizens would not have had to lose their lives in needless violence and U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry would still be alive.”
Last week The LA Times revealed the ATF twice let go of their prime suspect, Manuel Fabian Celis-Acos, in Fast & Furious in April 2010 and then again in May 2010. ATF was hoping Mr. Acosta could lead them to drug lords Eduardo and Jesus Miramontes-Varela. Unfortunately, these brothers were FBI informants and therefore completely untouchable. Turns out the FBI and ATF were not sharing information with each other.
Agent Terry was murdered December 14, 2010. Two weapons connected to Fast & Furious were found at the crime scene. Nobody within the Department of Justice has been held accountable for Fast & Furious.