special agent furcelli. >> good morning.or the opportunity to appear before the committee today. i'm here to provide testimony that i hope will assist in your inquiry into the investigation that has come to be known as operation fast and furious. i believe that your inquiry is essential. there have been grave mistakes made in this case and the committee, the american people, and the family of slain border patrol agent brian terry deserve answers. please allow me to give you a little background information about myself. in 1987 i began my career with the new york city police department. i worked as an uniform police in the bronx. in my career i estimate i responded to approximately 600 homicide scenes. the vast majority were drug related committed by armed criminals and these violent criminals were armed with illegal firearms and had little regard for human life. i retired early in june of 2001 to take a position with the alcohol, tobacco and firearms and then i did this because i had the honor of working with atf agents who

special agent furcelli. >> good morning. i thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee today. i'm here to provide testimony that i hope will assist in your inquiry into the investigation that has come to be known as operation fast and furious. i believe that your inquiry is essential. there have been grave mistakes made in this case and the committee, the american people, and the family of slain border patrol agent brian terry deserve answers. please allow me to give you a little background information about myself. in 1987 i began my career with the new york city police department. i worked as an uniform police in the bronx. in my career i estimate i responded to approximately 600 homicide scenes. the vast majority were drug related committed by armed criminals and these violent criminals were armed with illegal firearms and had little regard for human life. i retired early in june of 2001 to take a position with the alcohol, tobacco and firearms and then i did this because i had the honor of working with a

special agent furcelli, in your statement you expressed extreme from us twrags the u.s. tone's office in phoenix. you said that they gaveozens of firearms, traffickers a pass. you also testified that they allowed criminals to walk free, and you indicated that they declined most of the cases, most of your cases and this was at least one factor wch led to the debacle and perhaps the necessity of operation of fast d furious, is that correct? >> yes, sir. i strongly believe that. >> those are strong allegations. i want to ask about specific cases you cite. first you talk about the 2007 case of victor ravela who trafficked 50 caliber rifles to the mexican cartels one of which was used to kill a mexican military commander. the u.s. marshall david gonzalez said at the time this case was made one of our highest priorities because of the nature of the crime but you say the assistant u.s. attorney in phoenix wouldn't prosecute. do you believe in that want case that we had sufficient evidence to move forward with the prosecution? >> absolutely. in fact, sir, that case was prosecute

special agent furcelli. >> good morning. i thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee today. i'm here to provide testimony that i hope will assist in your inquiry into the investigation that has come to be known as operation fast and furious. i believe that your inquiry is essential. there have been grave mistakes made in this case and the committee, the american people, and the family of slain border patrol agent brian terry deserve answers. please allow me to give you a little background information about myself. in 1987 i began my career wi the new york city police department. i worked as an uniform police in the bronx. in my career i estimate i responded to approximately 600 homicide scenes. the vast majority were drug related committed by armed criminals and these violent criminals were armed with illegal firearms and had little regard for human life. retired early in june of 2001 to take a position with the alcohol, tobacco and firearms and then i did this because i had the honor of working with atf a