Law agencies don't track informant crimes

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WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Federal law enforcement agencies in the United States say they don't know how many times their agents allow informants to break the law.

Despite strict limits on when and how agents can permit their informants to commit crimes, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives do not track how often agents give that permission, USA Today reported Sunday.

That practice, routine among law enforcement agencies, has come under scrutiny since the failed "Fast and Furious" operation allowed 2,000 guns to get into the hands of Mexican drug organizations.

A report published in September by the inspector general of the Justice Department said ATF agents failed to get permission from their superiors before allowing gun dealers to sell the weapons to suspected cartel members.

In response to inquiries by USA Today, the ATF and DEA said they were in compliance with their agencies' rules, which don't require tracking the number of authorizations.

The FBI is required to collect such numbers, but the bureau would not release the figures.

In 2005, the DEA estimated it had 4,000 informants; the FBI said in 2007 it had 19,000.