Crime

Gun That ‘Walked’ in Fast & Furious Reportedly Involved in Plot to Kill Mexican Police Chief

Gun Walked in Fast and Furious Involved in Plot to Kill Mexican Police Chief Julian Leyzaola

(file photo)

One of the guns that was allowed to walk across the Mexico border in “Operation Fast and Furious” was recovered in Tijuana and found to be connected to a drug cartel’s conspiracy to kill the police chief of Tijuana, Baja California, who later became the Juarez police chief, according to a report released by the U.S. government.

The firearm was found on Feb. 25, 2010, during the arrest of cartel members associated with Teodoro “El Teo” Garcia Simental and Raydel “El Muletas” Lopez Uriarte, associates of Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa Cartel, the El Paso Times reports in an article that draws information from an initial report from Breitbart News’ Mary Chastain.

In March 2010, Tijuana police said they arrested four suspects in connection with a plot to assassinate the police chief, Julian Leyzaola. The suspects allegedly confessed to planning to murder Leyzaola on orders from the leadership within the Tijuana Cartel.

Gun Walked in Fast and Furious Involved in Plot to Kill Mexican Police Chief Julian Leyzaola

Julian Leyzaola, police chief of Juarez (AP Photo/Juan Carlos Llorca)

The men had a significant cache of weapons and ammunition, and one of the guns was traced back to the failed federal gun-walking operation infamously known as Fast and Furious.

Leyzaola, a retired Mexican army officer, was reportedly targeted for death multiple times while he attempted to assert control over the city of Tijuana, a city in shambles due to ongoing cartel violence and turf battles. He became the Juarez police chief in March 2011, where more than 10,000 people have been killed by drug related violence.

More from the El Paso Times:

On July 31, the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released a 2,359-page report titled “Fast and Furious: The Anatomy of a Failed Operation,” based on numerous interviews from hearings, and reviews of more than 10,000 pages of documents.

U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa and U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley led the investigation into the ATF’s operation that ended abruptly after Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry was murdered in December 2010, and two weapons traced to Fast and Furious were found near Terry’s body in the Arizona desert.

Officials said bandits preying on immigrant and drug smugglers fired on Terry, who first shot at the bandits with only bean bags.

The Department of Justice Office of Inspector General plans to issue a separate report within weeks on Fast and Furious.

In addition to Terry and Leyzaola, Fast and Furious-traced weapons also were connected to a drug cartel cell in Chihuahua state that kidnapped and murdered the brother of ex-Chihuahua Attorney General Patricia Gonzalez, as well as to crime scenes in Juárez and other places in Mexico.

Under the ATF operation, about 2,000 firearms purchased at U.S. stores by straw buyers were allowed to walk across the border. The ATF’s goal was to dismantle an arms-trafficking network by identifying and arresting its leaders.

Hundreds of the operation-monitored firearms are unaccounted for, and legislative investigators speculate that more people could be killed on either side of the border with these weapons.

Mexico’s national investigative magazine , “Proceso,” reported last month that a Mexican lawyer and law experts in the United States are preparing to sue the ATF over Fast and Furious, however, no lawsuit has been filed yet.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder revealed his office does not plan on releasing anymore documents relating to Fast and Furious. The DOJ argues doing so may compromise ongoing investigations.

Comments (29)

  • The Real Tijuana
    Posted on August 7, 2012 at 3:19pm

    Thanks, but Tijuana is not “a city in shambles due to ongoing cartel violence and turf battles”. Our schools, shopping malls, and movie theaters are not places of gunfire … okay, so they shot up our general hospital once … but that was when Leyzaola was police chief!

    Leyzaola works for the current president, Felipe Calderón. And Calderón works for “El Chapo” Guzmán, the head of the Sinaloa cartel. Calderón sent Leyzaola to Tijuana in order to clear out our local Arellano-Félix cartel, which works with the PRI, Calderón’s enemies. Calderón and Leyzaola failed: we sent them packing when they shot up our hospital. So Leyzaola was sent instead to clear out the Juárez cartel (another PRI group) and he’s been mucking things up over there as well. In case no one north of the border has noticed, the PRI just stole the latest presidential election.

    Getting back to the drugs, El Teo was a lieutenant of El Chapo who reached for the brass ring. El Chapo uses Calderón’s government to fire employees who are too aggressive.

    All of this same nonsense occurred in the United States during the last Prohibition. The solution today is the same as it was in the 1920s: legalization in order to exert some amount of control.

    No government has the right to outlaw personal vice. Efforts to do so only serve nefarious interests of corrupt governments. People who “just say no” are saying “yes” to folks like Lt-Col. Oliver North and they turn El Chapo into the wealthi

    Report Post »  
    • The Real Tijuana
      Posted on August 7, 2012 at 3:24pm

      No government has the right to outlaw personal vice. Efforts to do so only serve nefarious interests of corrupt governments. People who “just say no” are saying “yes” to folks like Lt-Col. Oliver North and they turn El Chapo into the wealthiest person in the world.

      Report Post »  
  • dave88
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 4:58pm

    I bet Obama put this police chief on his kill list and told Eric Holder to be sure the assassin had a gun.

    Report Post »  
  • 65Plus
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 4:43pm

    Holder and Obama should be tried for murder/accessories to murder in Mexican courts. O will pardon Holder shortly after the elections. But he cannot yet pardon himself, legally. And he cannot resign in November and do a Nixon – his pride will not let him.

    Report Post » 65Plus  
  • SquareHead
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 3:15pm

    Government Terror / False Flag event to kill the 2nd Amendment.

    First reports speak of “multiple shooter” until the FBI, and the Feds gets involved, then all the reports change to a lone racist shooter… Yes, there could be a racist nut involved, but why does all the mainstream media change the story, and pretend that witnesses never said they saw multiple shooters. Sometimes they get threatened not to talk about this.

    Multiple shooter reported:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A11R6v5-iHs&feature=related

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM8fLM4fsbs&feature=plcp

    You all better help spread the news, as we are going to see many shootings going forward as the the powers are pushing for Gun Control…

    We saw this with the Batman story, as they refused to follow leads of multiple shooters, and the FBI, Homeland Security, ATF types come in and take over..

    These are the same crooks that orchestrated Fast and Furious, which has been in the works for years to be used to remove the 2nd amendment. This program started before Obama, so the powers go beyond this administration.

    Shooting where witnesses accounts where first reported and later ignored:
    Batman shooting
    Columbine shooting
    Oklahoma City bombing
    Flight 800

    Nero burned Rome and blamed the Christians.
    WW1, Korean War, Vietnam War, where all started on the false premise that we where attacked. WE STAGED THE FAKE ATTACKS THAT KILLED PEOPLE.

    Is it not time to get informed?

    Report Post »  
  • South Philly Boy
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 2:18pm

    holder has to go to JAIL

    Report Post » South Philly Boy  
    • yougottabekidding
      Posted on August 6, 2012 at 4:01pm

      Leyzaola, Holder knows and does not care you and everyone else is a means to his ends.
      Your life means nothing to him

      Report Post »  
  • Larry E
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 2:04pm

    I‘m waiting for ATF to tell us that the gun was bought legally in the USA and that gun dealers along the southern border will all be closed down by Holder’s ATF. That‘s only fair isn’t it?

    Report Post »  
  • jackact
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 1:25pm

    Attribute this attempted murder to Eric Holder as well.

    Report Post »  
  • kat747
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 1:16pm

    Maybe that is exactly what “fast & furious” is all about……Obama wants to take over Mexico ?????
    That is why Ob wants to give free citizenship to the Mexicans.

    Report Post »  
    • Larry E
      Posted on August 6, 2012 at 2:01pm

      Obama wants Mexico to take over the USA, not the other way around.

      Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 1:15pm

    Why does Obama and Holder’s justice department hate hispanics?

    Report Post » Gonzo  
    • RayOne
      Posted on August 6, 2012 at 1:20pm

      They don’t give enough money to the reElection campaign.

      Report Post » RayOne  
  • ThoreauHD
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 12:45pm

    We need to get Obama out of office and running for President of Russia.

    Report Post » ThoreauHD  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:58am

    Mexico is curiously silent on this, I wonder what the payoff was……can you imagine if we found out Canada was arming our gangs……..or if this was George Bush and John Ashcroft…..it would be billed as BIGGER THAN WATERGATE…….CUZ PEOPLE WERE AND ARE BEING MURDERED……but holder and Obama are black, so one must not criticize , or be labeled racist…….

    Report Post »  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:52am

    Yes, Obama and holder arming criminal gangs………..and our sick joke of the media covers it up and buries it……just like any propaganda wing should…thank you media, for exposing what you really are…STATE RUN PRAVDA…..

    Report Post »  
  • tothepoint
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:49am

    They can thank Obama and Holder for their part in arming criminals.
    Those two should be brought to trial for providing guns and grenades to drug dealers and other criminals.

    Report Post »  
  • blackfeather
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:46am

    …and holder is still “walking around”….

    Report Post »  
  • blackyb
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:42am

    Not only is Obama causing problems here in this country, but to Mexico as well.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • IMCHRISTIAN
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:41am

    Each and every person who takes drugs should not rest easy while others are being killed. The same for all who kill with any kind of weapon they should not be able to have another night of rest and peace.
    Evil is evil and corruption is evil. God sees all, Keep your life clean and your hearts pure.

    Report Post »  
  • blackyb
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:41am

    Maybe Obama and Holder have designs on Mexico. These men are criminals for causing these crimes gainst people.

    Report Post » blackyb  
    • CatB
      Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:52am

      After the November election … perhaps they will relocate. ;-)

      Report Post »  
  • Landon410
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:38am

    haha Mexico is going to sue the ATF, hahaha
    Wonder how media will spin this to blame Bush

    Report Post »  
  • Tri-ox
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:16am

    Mr. Leyzaola is lucky that obama’s plot was foiled.

    Report Post » Tri-ox  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:32am

      Something I have wondered is if this ‘fast and furious’ was about more than just the supplying of guns to the drug cartels. Could they of the administration been seeking to ensure the overthrow and total collapse of the Mexican goverment and nation? Such chaos would have allowed Obama to send in the troops to ‘see to the safety of our borders’ and as the chaos came north, crack down even more on the nation.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:13am

    With the matter of Fast and Furious I can easily see the Mexico government asking for Holder and all of our current regimes/administration who are involved in it happening being extradited for trial. They can have them once we finish with the treason trials here at home.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
  • QuincySmith
    Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:05am

    Gun That ‘Walked’ in Fast & Furious Reportedly Involved in Plot to Kill Mexican Police Chief – headline =
    Must have been one smart gun to ‘walk’ and ‘plot’ a killing.

    Report Post » QuincySmith  
    • Choctaw25
      Posted on August 6, 2012 at 11:20am

      A dumb Democrat is a sight to behold, then they open their mouths.
      A word to the Blaze staff writers, make it simply to read and understand by keeping it on a second grade level, just like the MSM.
      Lesson for the day is over, back to your coloring books.

      Report Post » Choctaw25  

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