Who Guards the Guards: Town Official Pleads Guilty to Running Guns
This week Reuters noted that Blas “Woody” Gutierrez, a former Columbus village trustee, has pleaded guilty to numerous charges, including three counts of smuggling firearms from the United States.
But the story also noted that “Woody” apparently didn’t act alone:
“Gutierrez was arrested in March along with former Columbus police chief Angelo Vega, former mayor Eddie Espinoza and 10 others, charged in an 84-count gun-running indictment. Since then, a Deming couple has also been charged with participating in the conspiracy.”
The remarkable part is that ATF had nothing to do with this debacle.
Who Guards the Guards: U.S. Mayor, Police Chief Smuggling Guns to Mexico
The Washington Post reported that Columbus, New Mexico Mayor Eddie Espinoza and Police Chief Angelo Vegas – as well as nine others – have been charged with supplying “high-powered weapons” to Mexico.
First, we do note that the “9mm handguns and AK-47-style pistols that resemble a shortened version of the rifle” should not be identified as “high-powered” but regardless, given the media outrage over guns heading to Mexico, it is simply unbelievable that those in power in the border town would help supply guns to the drug cartels.
Who Guards the Guards: Columbus Police Department Creates New Gun Unit
10TV in Columbus ran a story noting how Columbus Police are trying to get illegal guns off the streets, and while the numbers of confiscated weapons actually fell, the department is looking to create yet another unit. Here is what the Web story had to say:
“Police have already created a unit that does nothing but process guns seized from the streets, but a new plan to go after illegal weapons is expected to be unveiled soon, 10TV’s Kevin Landers reported on Thursday.”
We’ll be watching this new “plan” very carefully. Let’s hope it isn’t just a plan that would make all guns owned by citizens of Columbus to suddenly be illegal.
