Category: Bureaucraps
As I understand it, the ‘gray area’ law letters got the ATF bureaucrap’s attention and the destroyed Russian AK-12 ‘parts kits’ were the cherry on top of the sundae.
Trying to play fast and loose with U.S. code and regulation can be hazardous, as the federal bureaucraps do not like the peasantry devising ‘inventive’ ways to circumvent their restrictive regulations
United States of America v. Larry A. Vickers
Famed Delta Force veteran faces 25 years in a federal prison.
Special operations combat veteran, firearms industry consultant, tactical instructor and YouTube personality with more than a million loyal followers, Larry Allen Vickers, pleaded guilty last week to a multi-count federal indictment that accused him of conspiring to illegally import and obtain machineguns and other restricted firearms, and conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions against a Russian arms manufacturer.
Vickers, 60, faces up to 25 years in prison, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland. The judge overseeing the case has not yet scheduled a sentencing date.
Vickers’ influence on the firearms industry was massive — especially for all things tactical — because he had the right combination of training, real-world experience and business acumen. Vickers and other operators participated in Operation Acid Gambit — a hostage rescue operation to free American Kurt Muse, a CIA operative who was being held in a Panamanian prison. Today, actual hostage-rescue missions are rare, even for Tier One operators.
Vickers’ expertise was much sought after by small arms manufacturers. He developed improvements, innovations and accessories for Wilson Combat, Aimpoint, Glock and most notably, Heckler & Koch. He helped the German firm with their redesign of the M16, which led to the HK416 — the rifle of choice for special operations units around the world.
Vickers was also a firearms historian and scholar. His Vickers Guide series offered unique insight into the 1911, German small arms of World War II, the AR-15 and he wrote two volumes about the AK-47. He became a voice for AK proponents, and his advocacy led to new design features that improved the rifle’s ergonomics.
Vickers was one of the country’s most successful firearms instructors. A series of television shows and YouTube videos helped reinforce this brand. Although some will say much of his training was pre-9/11, he was one of the first Delta Force retirees to train civilians and law enforcement. His classes almost always sold out.
Vickers high profile and service to this country did not go unnoticed by federal law enforcement, especially the ATF.
The defendants
Federal agents first raided Vickers’ home in October 2021, while Vickers was battling cancer. They seized 245 NFA weapons from his personal collection, including museum pieces some described as “priceless.” Many of the rare guns baffled ATF investigators, who referred to them on forfeiture paperwork as “unknown machinegun,” which they then valued at $1,000.
At the time, multiple sources said Vickers let his Special Operation Tax (SOT) payment lapse, which prompted the raid. But the federal indictment unsealed last week draws this conclusion into question.
“That indictment alleges that beginning in June 2018 to March 2021, the defendants conspired to acquire machineguns and/or other restricted firearms, such as short-barreled rifles, by falsely representing that the firearms would be used for demonstrations to law enforcement agencies, including the Coats Police Department and the Ray Police Department.
That moment when ATF HQ celebrates worthless gun control laws in history that were followed by 25 years of the worst murder rates the country has ever seen.
It's almost like the ATF knows it's funding grows if there's high crime, and shrinks if there's low crime. https://t.co/UyQsb1cabB pic.twitter.com/YCZApxViMP
— 2A History (@2aHistory) October 23, 2023
You simply can not make up such a lie as this bureaucrap’s affidavit.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN GUN OWNERS, V. THE TOWN OF SUPERIOR Yurgealitis Report
I kid you not:
1) “Assault weapons” are too complicated to use in self-defense because you may have to use a charging handle, turn off the safety, and load a magazine
2) AR-15s are too heavy and require two hands, which is why he recommends people use a pump-action 12-gauge shotgun with buckshot instead
3) You should store your shotgun with the internal magazine loaded
4) You should use a revolver with hollow-point bullets instead of a semi-auto pistol for self-defense because “there are no complicated safety mechanisms” and speed loaders are easy to use
5) AR-15s are just as lethal as full-auto M-16s
Corrupt bureaucraps…but I repeat myself.
Former U.S. firearms investigator illegally trafficked guns to Mexico, government document alleges
Jose Luis Meneses, who worked as an investigator for ATF, admitted to buying firearm parts online and at a California gun store and then trafficking them to Mexico.
A former investigator for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is accused of smuggling guns into Mexico while employed by the agency in 2017, according to a letter sent to ATF’s head this week by U.S. Senator Charles Grassley.
Jose Luis Meneses, a Mexican national who worked as an investigator for ATF at the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana, admitted to buying firearm parts online and at a California gun store and trafficking them into Mexico for profit back in 2017, according to the letter and an ATF memo from the time obtained by Reuters.
The case has not been previously reported.
BLUF
The lower the threshold for taking away a person’s guns, the more likely it is that guns will be taken away from innocent people.
Feds Want SCOTUS To Let Judges Strip Gun Rights, Even When There’s Been No Crime
The Supreme Court has now received all the briefs for a case it will hear on Nov. 7 that could seriously affect how courts evaluate the constitutionality of gun-control laws. The Biden administration asked for a review of the Fifth Circuit Court’s decision not to deprive Zackey Rahimi of his right to own guns.
Rahimi is not a sympathetic character. He is a drug dealer with a long, violent criminal record. But instead of prosecuting Rahimi for his violent crimes or imposing sufficient bail to keep him in jail, prosecutors merely obtained a domestic violence protection order based on a 2020 assault against his girlfriend. The protection order was imposed without a hearing, and because he was not being criminally prosecuted, Rahimi was not provided with a lawyer.
The question before the court is: What is the standard of evidence needed to strip someone of their constitutional right to keep and bear arms? People lose their right to a gun when convicted of felonies and some violent misdemeanors. But should they lose that right after a mere noncriminal, civil decision — in the absence of a public hearing and a lawyer?
Obammy started a program where, if the VA decided vets had to have their financial matters handled by a ‘representative payee’ or conservator, the vet’s name was sent to the FBI to be put in NICS as a prohibited person for gun possession. There was no requirement for even a court decision or adjudication, just if the VA made a decision, on their own. Trump canned the program, but SloJoe reinstituted it.
Kennedy Says Deal Reached to Protect Veterans’ Gun Rights
There’s a joke about the VA: It gives veterans a second chance to die for their country.
We’re not big fans of how the VA does a lot of things. One of the things we’ve seen, though, is particularly alarming. That’s the idea of the VA having the authority to take action against their patients with regard to their gun rights.
Sure, I get the desire to do something for someone who is suicidal or whatnot, but this wasn’t limited to just that. It included people who simply needed some help with their finances or who were physically disabled.
Now, though, a deal has reportedly been reached that will put an end to that threat.
Sens. John Kennedy and Chuck Schumer have worked out a deal on a bill to protect veterans’ gun rights, according to the Hill.
At issue was an amendment proposed by Kennedy, R-La., that would allow military veterans, who have to enter a conservatorship, the ability to keep their firearms.
“I just left Chuck’s office. I think we got it worked out,” Kennedy told The Hill. “We’re going to hotline some new language. Frankly, I think it makes my amendment stronger. Now, not everyone’s going to be happy.”
Kennedy’s amendment was proposed as part of the Senate’s “minibus” appropriations bill that would fund the departments of Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture.
“The original position was they wanted me to pull my amendment down and I said ‘no,’” he said.
If this does go through, it promises to protect the gun rights of veterans throughout the nation.
The thing about a conservatorship is that it’s not always because someone is mentally incompetent. If they are, then they can be adjudicated as such and their gun rights can be revoked that way, but it’s not the VA’s place to determine if a veteran is incompetent or not.
Many people enter conservatorship because of various reasons, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re unable to responsibly exercise their gun rights.
Either way, veterans aren’t going to be interested in utilizing VA services if their gun rights are going to be in danger. It’s one of the issues with red flag laws with regard to therapists. If people think their rights are at risk, they simply won’t get the help they need.
Kennedy’s bill seeks to fix that, to keep the VA from screwing over veterans like that.
What we need to be careful about now is that the deal actually goes through. I know what Sen. Kennedy said, but this is Schumer we’re talking about here. He’s not exactly gun-friendly, now is he? Could there have been a miscommunication there? Maybe. Or maybe Schumer just wants to get this bill through and if it has to swallow something that protects gun rights for veterans, then so be it.
Either way, we need to wait and see how this actually plays out, but I’m hopeful that this will become law. Our veterans deserve it and so much more.
ATF Seeks to Muzzle Gun Owners of America Advocacy Group
In 2021, AmmoLand News disclosed documents that indicated the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) had been using the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to surveil Americans without proper authorization. Often, these individuals were monitored solely based on associations rather than concrete evidence of misconduct. This revelation prompted the Gun Owners of America (GOA) to seek further details via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
In a 2021 exposé, reporter John Crump unveiled that leaked ATF records showed a secretive surveillance operation targeting numerous legal gun buyers. This was accomplished by monitoring all gun transactions processed through the NICS system, as detailed by GOA.
After facing potential legal actions and a year of persistence, ATF released some information concerning the initiative. However, inconsistencies in redaction led GOA to seek complete versions of these records. Upon realizing their oversight, the ATF pressed GOA to erase all obtained records.
Yet, GOA resisted. They had legally received the documents from ATF and believed they had every entitlement to retain and utilize them for public awareness regarding unauthorized surveillance. In a subsequent move, the ATF sought a legal directive against GOA, demanding the deletion of the records and a commitment to silence.
This situation mirrored a prior incident involving AmmoLand News in the AutoKey Card case. In that instance, backed by GOA-funded legal support from Stephen Stamboulieh, AmmoLand News successfully resisted ATF’s efforts to silence them. Now, with the tables turned, GOA has enlisted Stamboulieh to challenge another ATF attempt at suppression.
GOA firmly maintains that since they legally acquired the documents, they have full rights over them. They are willing to eliminate personal details like social security numbers but will resist a comprehensive deletion mandate. They allege that ATF’s primary intention is to conceal their clandestine surveillance.
GOA’s legal briefing emphasizes the importance of upholding First Amendment rights, highlighting the extraordinary nature of ATF’s request and labeling it as potentially unconstitutional.
While ATF asserts a motive of privacy protection for its subjects, GOA counters this by pointing out the inherent irony. The ATF’s very operation intrudes upon individual privacy. GOA’s intention is to make these records available to Congress, suggesting that ATF might be keen on keeping this information away from its regulators.
GOA’s briefing also notes, “It’s a profound paradox that while ATF claims to safeguard gun owners’ privacy, they are the very entity spying and collecting personal data on these individuals.” GOA has urged the judiciary to uphold their First Amendment rights and dismiss ATF’s claims against public interest.
With the ATF fervently attempting to suppress details about this operation, many are left pondering, “What is the ATF concealing?”
BLUF
So what is the FBI and the rest of the intelligence/law-enforcement apparatus missing now? When we find out, it will be too late.
Israel’s intelligence failure is a warning for America’s politicized agencies
Some people are calling it “Israel’s 9/11.”
That makes sense, in that Hamas’ massacre was a totally unexpected massive terrorist attack with a huge body count of innocent people.
Not as many people died as on 9/11 (though proportionately to Israel’s population it was worse than 9/11 was for America).
Because the assault involved shootings, rapes and kidnappings, it seems somehow more personal than the jets of 9/11.
But there’s one way in which it was identical, and that’s the “totally unexpected” part.
Like American intelligence agencies before 9/11, Israel’s security services were caught flat-footed.
Both American and Israeli officials have said it was a complete surprise.
Maybe if the bureaucraps wouldn’t have been infiltrating Churches, Parent’s Groups and ‘MAGA” rallies, instead of doing their Constitutional duty to protect each of them (the states) against Invasion by these Jumpin Jihadis, we wouldn’t have this to worry about.
The head of the FBI is ominously warning there is a rising number of terror threats against the US — and that the biggest concern involves potential lone wolves pulling off Hamas copy-cat attacks here.
Agency chief Christopher Wray, 56, urged law enforcement to be extra cautious about ripple effects from the raging Israeli-Palestinian conflict during an address at the International Association of Chiefs of Police annual conference in San Diego on Saturday.
“History has been witness to antisemitic and other forms of violent extremism for far too long,” he said, according to an FBI transcript. “We remain committed to continue confronting those threats.
“In this heightened environment, there’s no question we’re seeing an increase in reported threats, and we’ve got to be on the lookout, especially for lone actors who may take inspiration from recent events to commit violence of their own,” he added.
Wray’s warning came a day after former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal’s designated a “Day of Jihad” on Oct. 13.
The FBI director did not divulge any specific domestic threats that the bureau may be grappling with directly stemming from the war but rather issued the broad warning.
House GOP launches inquiry into Biden ATF gun sales rule: ‘Universal gun registry’
EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX), chairman of the House Small Business Committee, is launching an investigation into a new rule from the Biden administration making single-sale gun sellers subject to gun dealing licenses.
In September, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives proposed a change to the definition of “engaged in the business of selling firearms” to include anyone who sells a firearm with the “predominant purpose” of profit.
A letter from Williams to ATF Director Steven Dettelbach, obtained exclusively by the Washington Examiner, notes the proposed rule would force nearly 25,000 new persons to legally register for a Federal Firearms License, “functionally turning them into a small business.”
“The ATF’s new rule would force thousands of gun enthusiasts to register as Federally Licensed Firearms Dealers,” Williams told the Washington Examiner. “Criminals will simply ignore this new requirement while law-abiding citizens will be forced to submit their information to the ATF as another backdoor attempt to make a universal gun registry. This ridiculous new requirement will do nothing to improve public safety and only shows the Biden Administration’s contempt for the Second Amendment.”
The new rule would require a gun owner who wishes to sell only one of their firearms to register as an FFL if they plan to make a profit, the letter states. It also notes that many gun owners do not wish to become businesses and are also not prepared to do so.
“ATF has determined that this proposed rule would impact unlicensed persons who would now have to become licensed dealers to lawfully operate as a small business,” the proposed rule states. “Because some of these unlicensed persons may transact in low-volume firearms sales to predominantly earn a profit, the costs to become an FFL could have an impact on their overall profit from firearms transactions.”
Williams and the committee are demanding answers from the ATF on the rule’s effect on small businesses, much of which was left out of the rule, the letter launching the inquiry states. One item requested is the cost in fees from small businesses to the ATF imposed by the new rule.
It also states that the Regulatory Flexibility Act requires government agencies to consider less costly, suitable alternatives to regulations on small businesses, for which Williams is requesting a detailed audit of their considerations as well as an explanation as to why the ATF did not include this analysis in the proposed rule.
The committee is also requesting an accounting of how many of the 25,000 new persons the ATF believes will stop selling firearms altogether due to the new rule.
The ATF declined to comment but confirmed it received the letter from Williams.
Thoughts on Proclamation 7463, or ‘Digital McCarthyism’ on the Move
On September 14, 2001, George W. Bush, exercising “the power vested in [him] as President of the Untied States,” issued Proclamation 7463, a “Declaration of National Emergency by Reason of Certain Terrorist Attacks.” That got the ball rolling on the construction of the surveillance state.
At the time, the extreme measure seemed justified. Three days earlier, the United States had suffered its most devastating terrorist attack in history.
But how about this: On September 8, 2023, Joe Biden quietly renewed the Bush era emergency measures for another year. I was told there would be no math, but that makes 22 years and counting that a vast array of surveillance assets have been mobilized against—against whom?
When George W. Bush was president, they were focused on al Qaeda and kindred groups. Today?
Today, that fearsome governmental power is still assembled. Increasingly, however, it seems to be focused against those the administration fears or dislikes.
Traditional Catholics, for example, or parents upset with their local school boards.
At the head of the list of potential “domestic extremists” are the tens of millions of people who support Donald Trump (not to mention, of course, Trump himself). A couple of days ago, Hillary Clinton took to CNN (it would be CNN) to say that something needed to be done to silence those misguided people who supported Trump. “Maybe,” she said, “there needs to be a formal deprogramming” of MAGA “cult members.”
Apparently the FBI agrees. According to a much-cited article in Newsweek, the agency has created a “new category of extremists that it seeks to track and counter: Donald Trump’s army of MAGA followers.” That article suggests that the FBI is struggling to combat genuine threats without attacking people who simply support Trump and other populist candidates. I wonder, though, how scrupulous they are being in protecting people’s Constitutional rights to free speech and political dissent.
Actually, I do not wonder. It is quite clear, as The New York Post observed, that the agency is deploying “some of the same counterterrorism methods honed to fight al Qaeda” in its scrutiny of Trump supporters and “AGAAVE,” i.e., “anti-government, anti-authority violent extremism” (an acronym that, as the Post suggested, “looks like a typo for a sugar substitute”).
MISSOURI ASKS US SUPREME COURT TO REVIVE SECOND AMENDMENT PRESERVATION ACT
The State of Missouri is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to revive the “Second Amendment Preservation Act” that blocks local law enforcement from enforcing federal gun prohibitions.
Under the act signed into law by Governor Mike Parson in 2021, residents can sue law enforcement for $50,000 if they attempt to enforce federal gun laws…the act was challenged last year in federal court by the Biden Administration with an appeals court ruling blocking it.
An emergency appeal was filed on Thursday putting the Second Amendment back on the docket for re-consideration by the Supreme Court asking that the law can continue to be enforced
‘Perfect Timing’: D’Souza’s Latest Film Comes After Shocking New Report About the FBI Released
Dinesh D’Souza’s latest film, “Police State,” is one he said he never wanted to make because it meant that the U.S.’s law enforcement agencies have reached a point where all Americans are in danger. Nevertheless, he likened himself to an animal alerting the herd of danger approaching, “so we can take precautionary steps before it’s too late.”
The film, set to premier Oct. 23-27, has appearances from familiar faces, such as Dan Bongino, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), author Peter Schweizer, and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), and argues federal organizations have been corrupted to the point that they’re selectively and unfairly targeting Christians and those on the political right.
Here’s the official trailer for “Police State.” Please watch and share! Movie is in theaters Monday, October 23 and 25. Virtual premiere is Friday, October 27. All tickets only at https://t.co/L3EAH8QJTZ pic.twitter.com/zjlnn07hFc
— Dinesh D'Souza (@DineshDSouza) October 3, 2023
I never wanted to have to make this movie. It’s my most terrifying film yet, one you can’t miss. Grab your tickets at policestatefilm.net
After sharing a trailer for the movie, many commented that it couldn’t have come at a better time. Why? A new report dropped this week about how the FBI is planning to target Trump supporters ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
The Newsweek report, the result of a three-month-long investigation, claims the government is so fearful of “violence and major civil disturbances” around the election that they’ve “quietly created a new category of extremists” to target: Trump followers.
The challenge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the primary federal agency charged with law enforcement, is to pursue and prevent what it calls domestic terrorism without direct reference to political parties or affiliations—even though the vast majority of its current “anti-government” investigations are of Trump supporters, according to classified data obtained by Newsweek.
“The FBI is in an almost impossible position,” says a current FBI official, who requested anonymity to discuss highly sensitive internal matters. The official said that the FBI is intent on stopping domestic terrorism and any repeat of the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. But the Bureau must also preserve the Constitutional right of all Americans to campaign, speak freely and protest the government. By focusing on former president Trump and his MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporters, the official said, the Bureau runs the risk of provoking the very anti-government activists that the terrorism agencies hope to counter.
“Especially at a time when the White House is facing Congressional Republican opposition claiming that the Biden administration has ‘weaponized’ the Bureau against the right wing, it has to tread very carefully,” says the official. (Newsweek)
The film and report come as a recent Rasmussen survey found 72 percent of likely U.S. voters are concerned the U.S. is turning into a police state—”a tyrannical government that engages in mass surveillance, censorship, ideological indoctrination, and targeting of political opponents.”
But according to Bongino, a former Secret Service agent, the police state “isn’t coming, it’s already here.”
“The signs are everywhere,” he added. “And once you recognize them, your senses will be heightened to the danger we’re all in.”
BATFE BANS Non-Lethal Training Ammunition For Civilian Use
BATFE GOOSE-STEPPING ON OUR RIGHTS (AGAIN)
Shared via Instagram by Aaron Cowan of Sage Dynamics, a UTM memo detailing how the BATFE has ordered UTM to stop selling their non-lethal training ammo (NLTA) to anyone other than law enforcement and the military. RECOIL has confirmed this directly with UTM.
How and why the BATFE feels they have this authority to decide law-abiding civilians can’t have NLTA arbitrarily is a mystery to us at this time.
UTM’s NLTA is imported from the UK and thus might be subject to “sporting use” importation laws. Likewise, Simunitions are imported from Canada and might get the same order from the BATFE if they haven’t already.
We spoke with Simunitions but they declined to comment.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
We know force-on-force training isn’t something most of us do every weekend. The fact is, most of us never do it in our lives. That said, it is extremely useful training that should be available to every legal firearm owner.
This is another example of the BATFE using its made-up power to invent de facto laws and regulations to suppress Americans’ right to bear arms. Training and access to ammunition are central to our Second Amendment rights.
Beyond that, this ban is simply an absurd federal overstep since non-lethal training ammunition is non-lethal. No one is being protected by this ban. No one is being saved. This is purely about the BATFE and the executive branch as a whole furthering their crusade of civilian disarmament.
The government is barred from enforcing the rule against all individual plaintiffs and their family members, Maxim Defense and its customers, FPC and all its members.
— Firearms Policy Coalition (@gunpolicy) October 3, 2023
— John Crump (@crumpyss) October 2, 2023
Fantastic. 👏👏👏👏 https://t.co/BIDCoSi7YG
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) September 29, 2023
COURT SUPERMAJORITY WILL CLARIFY ITS CONSTITUTIONAL REVOLUTION
The first Monday in October, the traditional date for the beginning of the U.S. Supreme Court’s term, is almost here: On Oct. 2, 2023, the court will meet after the summer recess, with the biggest case of the term focused on the limits of individual gun rights.
The other core issue for the coming year is a broad reassessment of the power of the administrative state.
Both issues reflect a court that has announced revolutionary changes in doctrine and must now grapple with how far the new principles will reach.
Two years ago, the court began what many consider to be a constitutional revolution.
The new supermajority of six conservative justices rapidly introduced new doctrines across a range of controversies including abortion, guns, religion and race.
When the court announces a new principle – for example, a limit on the powers of a specific part of government – citizens and lawyers are not sure of the full ramifications of the new rule. How far will it go? What other areas of law will come under the same umbrella?