The DOJ are accomplices to over 200 murders. Of course they should be prosecuted. Preferably extradited.
And don't compare this to a "sting." In a sting operation, there is a plan in place to catch someone breaking the law and to arrest them. There was absolutely no plan in place in Gunwalker to catch anyone but the straw purchasers themselves, and there was never any need to let the guns walk to make those arrests. The line that they wanted to get some kind of head honcho shouldn't be accepted until they can tell us how they planned to do that, especially since they deliberately kept the Mexican government in the dark.
Also, the US government has no authority to conduct a sting operation inside another sovereign country.
As for the specific laws being violated, I can't find the the actual text of TWTE or IEEPA that brings cartels under the umbrella, so I am sceptical that these laws actually apply in this case. But, even if they do apply, it makes zero sense to talk about intent/purpose with respect to those laws without knowing what the precise elements of the crime are. It could well turn out that the only intent required is intent to trade with the prohibited entity.
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