Letter to The Honorable Michele M. Leonhart, Administrator, United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Letter

VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION
The Honorable Michele M. Leonhart
Administrator
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
700 Army Navy Drive
Arlington, VA 22202

Dear Administrator Leonhart:

On March 15, 2011, Senator Grassley sent you a letter requesting a briefing to gain a better understanding of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) involvement in Operation Fast and Furious. Conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Operation Fast and Furious, was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case. That letter is attached for your ready reference. Nearly four months later, your agency has yet to respond directly.

On April 12, 2011, the Department of Justice (DOJ) responded on behalf of DEA. In its letter, DOJ stated:

Generally speaking, . . . when another Department component leads an OCDETF investigation, DEA works cooperatively to support drug-related aspects of the investigation. Such cooperation means that DEA may share investigative expertise, report leads, and provide manpower to assist in an investigative or enforcement operation as requested by the lead investigative agency.[1]

This information sharing, or lack thereof, is precisely the reason Senator Grassley made the initial request. Consequently, we request that you make arrangements by no later than July 19, 2011 for DEA supervisors and personnel with specific knowledge of details related to Operation Fast and Furious and the parallel DEA case to brief members of both of our staffs.

In addition to the aforementioned briefing, please provide the following documents:

1) The number of informants or cooperating defendants handled by other agencies identified in the course of any investigations related to Operation Fast and Furious defendants. For each informant or cooperating defendant, please identify the other agency, the date that DEA learned of their informant or cooperating defendant's status, and a description of how the DEA learned of their informant or cooperating defendant's status.

2) All information related to indicted Fast and Furious suspect Manuel Fabian Celis-Acosta.

3) A list of all personnel designated as DEA liaisons with other federal law enforcement agencies in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Please also include any communications of the following individuals at DEA relating to Operation Fast and Furious or Manuel Fabian Celis-Acosta:

1) Elizabeth Kempshall, Special Agent in Charge, Phoenix

2) Doug Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Phoenix

3) Chris Feistle, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Phoenix

4) Albert Laurita, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Tucson

5) David Hathaway, Resident Agent in Charge, Nogales

6) Joe Muenchow, Resident Agent in Charge, Yuma

These records should include emails, memoranda, briefing papers, and handwritten notes. You should also produce communications these individuals had with any ATF employee from between October 1, 2009, and June 30, 2011.

Please provide the documents and information requested no later than July 26, 2011. If you have any questions regarding this request, please contact Ranking Member Grassley's office at (202) 224-5225 or Chairman Issa's Committee staff at (202) 225-5074. Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,
____________________________
Darrell Issa, Chairman
Committee on Oversight and
Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives
____________________________
Charles E. Grassley, Ranking Member
Committee on the Judiciary
U.S. Senate

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