ATF/DOJ gun running scandal becomes 'international incident'

* March 7th, 2011 12:44 pm ET



According to sources within the Mexican government today, the continually-evolving scandal at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (the ATF)--an agency of the Department of Justice--is now considered an 'international incident.' The two reporters who initially broke the story, David Codrea and Mike Vanderboegh, report that Mexico has issued a formal request to the United States government for information on the so-called 'Project Gunwalker' scheme, during which rogue ATF agents not only bribed U.S. gun dealers to allow them to illegally purchase weapons but 'walked' them over the Mexican border, placing them in the hands of the drug cartels.

It has also been confirmed that one of the guns smuggled across the southern border was used by a drug cartel to murder a U.S. Border Patrol agent, Brian Terry.

The news of the official request for an explanation of the scandal was reported in 'Mexico':

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) reported that Mexican authorities have proceeded with a request of detailed information on this matter to the American authorities, after the media of both countries made known such operation had been conducted by the (ATF).

“The government of Mexico is very interested in the investigations announced by both the ATF and the Department of Justice,â€