Last week at the ATF ...
By Lee Williams. Apr 17, 2023
Every Friday afternoon like clockwork most of the ATF’s 25 field divisions send out press releases showcasing their office’s enforcement activities for the week. It’s classic eye-wash of sorts. The ATF is trying to look busy, like they’re good stewards of our taxpayer dollars.
As we have previously reported, most of ATF’s criminal charges are filed administratively after the fact, after another law enforcement agency has already made an arrest. For example, when local police arrest an armed criminal with a previous felony conviction, they may ask ATF to pursue federal charges, which usually carry a stiffer penalty. Of course, the ATF takes credit for the arrest, the investigation and the subsequent prosecution, often by claiming it was part of a task force or its Project Safe Neighborhoods program.
Still, as the ATF’s press releases show every week, it’s rare for the agency to initiate a major case on its own.
Here are some of ATF’s highlights from last week:
Boston Field Division
“According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force identified Martinez as a large-scale distributor of fentanyl. Martinez’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for narcotics offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce,” the press release states.
DEA Agents made the arrest.
East Hartford Man Admits Role in Catalytic Converter Theft Ring
“According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut,” the press release states.
..... 
..."History has shown us that whenever ATF mounts a large-scale investigation, such as the sieges in Waco and Ruby Ridge or the "Fast and Furious" gun-walking scandal, innocent Americans often pay with their lives. As last week's press releases indicate, no one makes a better case to abolish the ATF than the ATF."
