A “Fast and Furious” program gun runner, Jaime Avila Jr. pleaded guilty on Thursday to two felony counts of purchasing and running guns into Mexico from Arizona. The federal government’s “Fast and Furious” failed sting operation is tied to the murder of a U.S. federal agent, Brian Terry.
Avila pleaded guilty to charges of dealing firearms without a license, making false statements in acquiring a firearm and smuggling guns out of the United States.
Two of the 52 weapons purchased illegally by Avila were found at the scene of Brian Terry’s death. Avila is facing only 6 years in prison.
Avila bought high-powered firearms including AK-47 type assault rifles and Barrett sniper rifles. Avila was recruited by Juan Jose Martinez-Gonzalez to make third party straw purchases from licensed dealers to export to Mexico for drug cartels.
The purchases were made in the Phoenix area from 2009 to 2010 through the Fast and Furious program run by the Phoenix field office of the ATF and the U.S. Attorney.
The authorized gun dealers reported the weapon sales and their concerns about the purchases to the federal government. The federal government then failed to track the weapons that were part of their ill conceived sting operation.
The stated goal of the program was to try to track guns being smuggled to drug cartels, but later it was revealed that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder hoped it would create support for more gun control.
The Obama administration has been under fire over Fast and Furious, which has been under investigation by the U.S. Congress.