Justice Dept. releases documents on 'Fast and Furious' gun trafficking operation

The U.S. Justice Department released some subpoenaed documents about the controversial "Operation Fast and Furious" federal gun trafficking investigation to a Congressional committee on Friday, the chairman of the panel said.

The documents are critical to the committee's efforts to "understand and shine light on what was happening inside DOJ during the time of this irresponsible operation," committee chairman and Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz said in a statement on the investigation that may have resulted in Mexican drug cartels getting thousands of firearms.

(Reporting by Julia Harte; Editing by Andrew Hay)