2 Resignations come from Operation Fast and Furious

The two men leading Operation Fast and Furious step down

CREATED Aug. 30, 2011

  • (1) | COMMENTS
  • Print

  • Kenneth Melson, acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Attorney in Arizona, Dennis Burke, have resigned following investigations into a flawed law enforcement operation aimed at major gun-trafficking netwo Video by kgun9.com

    video

Reporter: Ileana Diaz
Web Producer: Ina Ronquillo

TUCSON, AZ. (KGUN9-TV)  - Kenneth Melson, acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Attorney in Arizona, Dennis Burke, have resigned following investigations into a flawed law enforcement operation aimed at major gun-trafficking networks on the Southwest border.

Operation Fast and Furious aimed to target Mexican cartels and gun traffickers. Instead the men in charge of the operation put thousands of guns in the hands of those very people, eventually ending up at the crime scene where Border Patrol Agent Terry was mortally wounded.

ATF Chief Kenneth Melson and Arizona U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke resigned; something the Terry family says they were hoping for.

“It cost our brother his life. How many more law enforcement guys will lose their lives. It’s silly. It’s supposed to be a brotherhood. Government is supposed to look out for their employees and they didn’t,” said Kent Terry, Jr.   

After two guns recovered from agent terry's crime scene were linked to operation fast and furious--many began questioning the system, those who run it and if it could happen again.
 
“How are you ensuring the American public that there’s not another botched operation going on right now?” asked KGUN9.
 
“I would hope administration has learned lesson for this. It is also a congressional oversight and that of the executive branch. We didn't have that information in part because of the democrats but now that there is an investigation ongoing…things are changing and we will get it in the future,” said Senator John McCain.  
 
Until then, the Terry family wants answers and accountability from everyone.
 
“I think those at the top should be held responsible for that that happened beneath them but I don’t think the investigation is completed yet. I think there are still a lot of things we don't know, so I would rather reserve judgment until we know all of the facts,” said Senator McCain.

Since the investigation on Operation Fast and Furious there have been new measurements put in place to better track weapons. ATF agents are required to report every time they send more than 2 high-powered rifles across the border within a five-day period.   

U.S. Attorney in Minnesota, B. Todd Jones, will replace Kenneth Melson as ATF's acting director.