El Chapo’s Fast & Furious Fifty Cal

This isn't by any means breaking news, but the New York Post ran a reminder today of one of the most spectacular anti-gun efforts ever bungled by opponents of the Second Amendment: the so-called “Fast and Furious” operation. If you hadn't already heard, one of the weapons impounded by Mexican security forces when they captured Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman was a fifty-cal (.50) linked to the failed BATFE effort (which also resulted in the 2010 murder of USBP Agent Brian Terry). The .50 was one of 19 firearms recovered from Mazatlan, where Guzman was taken. Four other weapons connected to Fast and Furious were located about a week before El Chapo's capture during a raid on a hideout in Culiacan, during which the narco-leader narrowly escaped.

The Fast & Furious Fifty Cal was just one of 34 such weapons released by the BATFE during Operation Fast and Furious.

As of January the BATFE has reportedly recovered 885 weapons purchased by targets of the operation, many of which were tied to violent crimes. Back in March Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik wrote the following to U.S. congressional leaders.

“ATF and the department deeply regret that firearms associated with Operation Fast and Furious have been used by criminals in the commission of violent crimes, particularly crimes resulting in the deaths of civilians and law enforcement officials.”

Kadzik is the head of the legislative affairs office of the the Justice Department.

Read more on the New York Post here.

News of this particular rifle and its connection to El Chapo first began to make the news cycle back in January.

Photo above courtesy the Washington Times (AP/Alex Brandon). Tom Diaz, senior policy analyst, Violence Policy Center, right, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, March 12, 2009, before the House National Security and Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing on U.S.-Mexico border violence with a .50 caliber rifle in the foreground.