ATF: 68,000 guns were illegally trafficked through unlicensed dealers over 5 years

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NPR/AP

April 5, 2024 12:16 AM ET



WASHINGTON — More than 68,000 illegally trafficked firearms in the U.S. came through unlicensed dealers who aren't required to perform background checks over a five-year period, according to new data released Thursday by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives.

That represents 54% of the illegally trafficked firearms in the U.S. between 2017 and 2021, Justice Department officials said. The guns were used in 368 shooting cases, which are harder to investigate because unlicensed dealers aren't required to keep records of their sales that could allow federal agents to trace the weapon back to the original buyer, said ATF Director Steve Dettelbach.

The report ordered by Attorney General Merrick Garland is the first in-depth analysis of firearm trafficking investigations in more than 20 years. It examined more than 9,700 closed ATF firearm trafficking investigations that began between 2017 and 2021. Firearms trafficking is when guns are purposely moved into the illegal market for a criminal purpose or possession.

The second-highest share of firearm-trafficking cases investigated by ATF was straw purchases, when someone buys a gun for a person who can't get it legally themselves.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2024/04/05/1242972470/atf-illegally-trafficked-firearms

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Link to DOJ PRESS RELEASE - Justice Department Announces Publication of Third Volume of National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment

[Marthe48]

1. More illegal guns than illegal votes cast?

Last edited Fri Apr 5, 2024, 10:08 AM - Edit history (1)

Just a quick thought :/

EDIT: Somebody should do a Venn diagram showing overlap of illegal guns, illegal votes and rwnj

[groundloop]

3. Yeah, but think of all that wonderful ill-gotten profit for the gun industry

[twodogsbarking]

2. What we are doing isn't working.

[Barry Markson]

7. It's almost like criminals don't follow the law.

Who could have predicted that?

Time to put more regulation and rules on the law abiding I guess.

[pecosbob]

4. Probably has something to do with the laws that protect gun dealers.

D'ya think?

[sarisataka]

5. The law only applies to licensed dealers

making legal transactions. So no, they have no protection.

[Maine-i-ac]

6. Sooo ... video games is the problem then? /s nt

[twodogsbarking]

8. So is this the iceberg or just the tip? I'm thinking tip.

[Kennah]

9. For whatever reason, ATF seems reluctant to pursue these cases at times

My SIL's now deceased long term BF and Baby Daddy, sold legally purchased guns for drugs. 4 of his legally purchased guns showed up at crime scenes over about a 9 year period. In the fourth one, a cop got shot and paralyzed. They caught the kids in the car with the gun who shot the cop.

When local police talked to ATF, the ATF told them, "Oh, yeah, since 9 years ago, that's this guy's MO." Local cops were understandably pissed off that ATF didn't arrest this low life sooner. They served a search warrant, found some stolen merchandise and small amounts of drugs. He ended up pleading to 6 misdemeanors, no time served, and did NOT lose the ability to own guns.

Cop was shot in 2003, paralyzed, died about 2016. His death was attributed to his gunshot injury.

Low life ODed and died a couple of years ago.