Guns Across the Border

How and Why the U.S. Government Smuggled Guns into Mexico: The Inside Story

By: Mike Detty

Narrated by: Thomas Stephen Jr.

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

The true and shocking story of an undercover smuggling operation.

Conducted under the umbrella of Project Gunrunner, intended to stem the flow of firearms to Mexico, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) ran a series of “gun walking” sting operations, including Operations Wide Receiver and Operation Fast & Furious. The government allowed licensed gun dealers to sell weapons to illegal straw buyers so that they could continue to track the firearms as they were transferred to higher-level traffickers and key figures in Mexican cartels.

Motivated by a sense of patriotic duty, Tucson gun dealer and author Mike Detty alerted the local ATF office when he was first approached by suspected cartel associates. Detty made the commitment and assumed the risks involved to help the feds make their case, often selling guns to these thugs from his home in the dead of night. Originally informed that the investigation would last just weeks, Detty’s undercover involvement in Operation Wide Receiver, the precursor to Operation Fast & Furious, which was by far the largest “gun walking” probe, stretched on for an astonishing and dangerous three years.

Though the case took several twists and turns, perhaps the cruelest turn was his betrayal by the very agency he risked everything to help.

©2013 Mike Detty (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Awesome book!

Mike Detty is a true American Patriot. This is a great book and everyone needs to listen to his story!

Full accounting of ATF and DOJ incompetence

This book is a must read for anyone that is interested in current events, constitutional law, and/or is a firearms owner. Mike Detty thankfully had the bravery and foresight to document and release his interactions with the scummy, incompetent, career driven DA and agents.

Way more people should be in prison for allowing these operations to take place, and I'm just talking about the cartel members. These people who are actively and purposefully distribute weapons to known criminals for criminal purposes, purposefully and accidently exposing a confidential informant, covering up and attempting to destroy evidence, and attempt to discredit and undercut the informant are *THE SAME* people that attempt to tell us we the people are too "irresponsible" to own firearms and dismantle our Constitutional rights. I really wish this information was way more common knowledge and people were held to account for these operations.

In summation, this book's highlighting of federal authorities indifference of ordinary citizen's safety and well being makes the case for why we have the Bill of Rights in the first place. Especially when it comes to the Second Amendment.

While the author is clearly well researched and knowledge about the subject of firearms and firearms related law, I do feel the need to comment on the narrator's performance. While overall a great performance giving slightly different voices to help with understanding who is speaking during conversations, I can can recall one time where the wrong voice was used for the wrong person, and several instances of mispronouncing brand names or abbreviations that made things confusing at times. I had to rewind a couple times to understand what the narrator actually meant. Example: Clothing brand 5.11 (Five Eleven) as "Five - One - One". Otherwise, great audio book experience.

An Important Read

This is a great co-read with Sharyl Attkisson's well researched work on the Fast and Furious operation. This account is that of a gun dealer attempting to help the BATF Phoenix office curtail the mass purchase of firearms destined for the Mexican Drug Cartels and other hoodlums south of the Border.

Following the principle of No Good Deed Goes Unpunished the feds at times seem determined to get the cooperating dealer killed with their Keystone Cops antics and lack of any appreciation for the risks the dealer is taking to assist them. Beyond that there are broken promises of compensation, actions which could easily compromise the author and allowing large quantities of guns to go south of the border.

Although the author does not speculate as to some of the reasons so many guns were allowed to be delivered to Mexico, this operation occurred at a time when the US government was trying to attack US gun dealers by actually pressuring them to make sales to individuals known to be exporting guns both out of the Phoenix and other officers. Another side of this circus is well documented in Attkissons - Fast and Furious.

A very good read , written more at the street level than Attkisson's book . The two go well together.

Abolish the ATF

I am glad that the author realized the government does not have our best interest in mind. Abolish the ATF and end the war on drugs. Government is a parasite

will worth a listen

it's crazy how this guy who is a arms dealer put his life on the line to help the ATF and they go and turn there back on him and throw him under the bus and put him in danger

Great book. Highly recommend

One of the most enjoyable audiobooks i have listened to in quite a long time. More people need to hear the truth about what really happened.

My 2 cents

This is an easy listener. If I was reading it, I would’ve had a hard time putting it down. The story flows nicely, detailed, but not overbearing with backstory, which my ADD appreciates. Unfortunately, there are no surprises at the end, which is the real tragedy.

Misuse of guns & the sales of guns to criminals

I enjoyed the description of the events, the book does a very good job of building a mental picture of situation described. Provides insight into the criminals and their activities in the southern US and Mexico.

Great book!

Loved it, finished it quickly and then listen to certain over again.
author was ok.

Exceptional story, a twist ending and Its true.

The storytelling, as written by the person whom experienced it, is well written and exceptionally detailed. The end of the story comes as a bit of a twist and leaves you thinking well no duh! 🙄