"Fast & Furious" Remains Out of Sight and Therefore Out of Mind

With all of the scandals the Obama administration has been involved in of late, it's not surprising that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' ill-fated "Operation Fast and Furious" would fade from the public's memory.  Conceived as a secretive "gun-walking" scheme, "Fast and Furious" instead became a deadly debacle that came to light with the murder of U.S. Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

Numerous investigations and hearings culminated with the nation's top law enforcement officer, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, being found in contempt of Congress.  That was more than a year ago, and Holder remains in contempt of Congress for his role in the operation and subsequent cover-up.  That's likely to remain the case, as President Obama invoked executive privilege to protect Holder from providing requested, and potentially further incriminating, documents to Congress.

While "Fast and Furious" has been relegated to the back burner, reports of continuing carnage directly attributable to the failed operation continue.

According to one recent article, Mexican authorities have reported that, in addition to Agent Terry, more than 200 people have been killed or wounded in Mexico by "Fast and Furious" firearms.  Jaime Zapata, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent, was also killed by a "Fast and Furious" firearm.  The article also reports that an estimated 1,400 "Fast and Furious" firearms remain unaccounted for.

The most recent revelation regarding yet another "Fast and Furious" related fatality involves the death of Luis Lucio Rosales Astorga, a police chief in the Mexican city of Hostotipaquillo.

A Justice Department document obtained by the Los Angeles Times revealed that the police chief was shot to death on January 29, when gunmen intercepted and opened fire on his patrol car. One bodyguard was also killed.

The rifle used to kill the chief was a "Fast and Furious" gun that was traced back to a gun store in Glendale, Ariz., nearly 1,000 miles from Hostotipaquillo. 

As the body count climbs, a public accounting of the inventory of "walked" guns remains unavailable, and the American public is left waiting for information and a just resolution to the infamous scandal until the next "Fast and Furious"  gun crime is reported.