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Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is taking a stand against the Biden administration’s decision to close a key anti-arms trafficking operation.
Grassley is demanding answers about why Project Thor, an effective operation that busted Mexican cartel gunrunners, was suddenly defunded in 2022.
Internal documents, obtained by Grassley from whistleblowers, reveal Project Thor’s major role in combating U.S. to Mexico weapons trafficking.
Led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), this multi-agency initiative teamed up over 16 executive branch agencies to halt the flow of firearms to cartels, including the notorious Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
The operation, celebrated both publicly and privately, was inexplicably cut off last year.
Recently, Grassley released documents highlighting Project Thor’s comprehensive strategy. He’s also sending letters to each involved agency, digging into their past roles in the project and their current strategies against trafficking.
Grassley wrote, “The public reports and records provided to my office indicate Project Thor’s reported success was due in part to a whole of government information sharing strategy[…],”
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He expressed concerns about the Biden administration’s current, reportedly ineffective, tactics against arms trafficking and raised questions about the agencies’ commitment to dismantling cartel operations.
“The American people deserve to know more about the Biden administration’s strategy to hold all those involved, from straw purchasers to cartel members and leadership, accountable and brought to justice,” Grassley concluded.
Agencies receiving Grassley’s letters and ATF records include the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and State, as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
This move is part of Grassley’s broader effort to strengthen U.S. actions against violent Mexican cartels. He’s previously demanded a detailed account from ATF on Project Thor and the rationale behind its defunding, but has yet to receive a satisfactory response.
Mark Oliva, NSSF’s managing director of public affairs, pointed out the suspect timing of this. He wrote on Tuesday:
To be clear on this timeline, President Biden called firearm manufacturers “the enemy” while campaigning in 2019. President Biden took office in 2021. Mexico filed their $10 billion lawsuit in 2021. The ATF’s Project Thor, which was successful in disrupting Mexican cartel gun smuggling, was defunded in 2021 for the following year. Mexico’s lawsuit was dismissed and later revived in 2024 and now, Sen. Grassley is still being stonewalled by 16 federal law enforcement agencies as to why a successful operation to stop guns from being illegally trafficked was halted by the agency that’s charged to prevent that from happening.
Additionally, Grassley is investigating reports of misconduct within the ATF, including an agent allegedly involved in firearms trafficking.
Grassley also led Congress’s probe into Operation Fast and Furious, a controversial Obama-era program that allowed guns to be trafficked into Mexico.
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Why does Biden do anything? It’s simple 10% for the big guy.
Never underestimate O’Biejoes ability to screw things up, or words to that effect
Joe doesn’t do anything without being paid.
Mexico and China wage a long running drug war on the US. The fake POTUS (genuine POS) illegally arms the drug cartels of Mexico. China launches a cyber war on US shipping and takes out a few Ameicans and a bridge with tech developed by the US. But remember what the fake POTUS declared, “America is back.” This POS has been in power for over 50 years, 25% of the existance of the USM and all he has done is run America into the ground.
Do NOT give way to total despair. The sands of time will run out soon for this horrible man and his drug addicted son will then be abandoned by the CIA and Jill will cut of his financial life line. So theres’ that.