Operation Bad Deal: ATF discloses case that brought down New Deal Shooting Sports gun shops
Read the whole thing here.
Federal agents employed a red herring Tuesday morning to spring a sting operation on a Deming family for their alleged role in smuggling firearms to Mexico and money laundering.
According to a Las Cruces-based Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms official who wished to speak on a condition of anonymity and a source within the Luna County Sheriff’s Office who wished to remain anonymous, the Reese family was lured away from their Luna County compound to Las Cruces, where they were arrested without incident.
“We didn’t want to raid that compound. We had heard all kinds of stuff about what might be out there and statements we know he’s made, because we had them recorded about his willingness to fight,” the ATF official said. “We used a little rouge so everybody would be safe.”
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I think he means “ruse”, but he did say it was a red herring, so maybe not.
This is a follow up to this Page: Gun shop owner in New Mexico arrested with wife and sons for selling weapons to Mexican cartels
UPDATE: Reese family makes first court appearance on gun-running charges, seek public defenders