US Opens Criminal Inquiry Into Oil Spill

Attorney General Eric Holder said today that federal authorities have opened criminal and civil investigations into the Gulf oil spill. The developments were expected, and the Los Angeles Times reported over the weekend that the scope of the criminal inquiry seems larger than a mere formality even in these early stages.

"We will closely examine the actions of those involved in the spill," said Holder. "If we find evidence of illegal behavior, we will be extremely forceful in our response." President Obama expressed a similar sentiment earlier today. Meanwhile, BP has begun making the first major cut in the riser pipe on the ocean floor, part of its new containment plan.
(More Gulf oil spill stories.)