Two Mexicans charged with running outlaw gun factory in California

Reuters ^ | 28 February, 2014 | Laila Kearney

[marktwain]

(Reuters) - Two Mexican nationals were indicted on Thursday on charges of running an outlaw weapons-supply shop in northern California that assembled and sold unmarked, illegal firearms and accessories, including machine-guns and silencers.

A federal grand jury in Sacramento indicted brothers Luis Cortez-Garcia, 44, and Emiliano Cortez-Garcia, 37, on one count each of unlawful manufacturing and sales of firearms, conspiracy to unlawfully manufacture and sell firearms and multiple counts related to making and selling illegal assault rifles, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said in a statement.

"The conduct alleged in this case involves the systematic evasion of federal firearms laws, for profit, in a manner that created a real threat to public safety," Wagner said.

Additionally, both brothers were charged with being illegal immigrants in possession of firearms.

(snip)

Danny Brace, a private attorney representing Luis Cortez-Garcia, said his client and his brother deny ever fully assembling or selling a firearm. He said the men were lawfully assisting customers in assembling rifle parts.

[marktwain]

Part of a crackdown on 80% receivers, or stopping actual crime?

I find it difficult to believe that the second amendment does not protect making your own.

[SIDENET]

Hell, it was probably some of the only manufacturing left in California.

[LeoWindhorse]

put them in front of a wall , use their own guns

[miliantnutcase]

Probably ATF or CIA sponsored shop. They weren’t needed anymore...

[Nachum]

Soon to be a booming black market in California:

*Unmarked weapons

*Unmarked ammo

*large capacity magazines

(Pssst, hey meeester... wanna buy some untraceable ammo?)

[Carry_Okie]

Hell, it was probably some of the only manufacturing left in California.

Somebody has to supply the pot growers on Federal land up there.

[45semi]

Just building the (illegal..lol) firearms that American's are too lazy to build...

Seriously though...been tempted to try starting on a 80% project.

[DemforBush]

It would be interesting to see a sampling of the weapons in question. Were they doing AK/AR knockoffs, modding existing weapons (i.e. full auto conversion) or making scratch-built designs?

It’d also be interesting to see the level of workmanship of the weapons.

[NoLibZone]

They are on the WH staff

[marktwain]

“It would be interesting to see a sampling of the weapons in question. Were they doing AK/AR knockoffs, modding existing weapons (i.e. full auto conversion) or making scratch-built designs?”

At a minimum, it seems that were using the cover of helping people finish 80% receivers and assembling rifles from them.

I have lost enough faith in the BATFE and this administration, to be unsure as to their motives and evidence. I have seen too often that they railroaded good people just to prove they could do it, or for purely political reasons.

[William Tell]

45semi said: "Seriously though...been tempted to try starting on a 80% project."

I know a guy who met someone once on a boating trip whose neighbor tried it with a cheap drill.

The reason that a real mill typically has a special chuck is so that it can grip the tool firmly enough to do more than just drill a hole. Otherwise, the cutting tool can slip without being noticed and can remove material that is not easily "unremoved".

[SgtHooper]

You can make your own. Don’t sell.

[sport]

Knowing what I know about the Government now, I would opine that it did not have a damn thing to with stopping crime.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Back when Bobby Kennedy was shot, at the same time the ATF was conducting a raid in South California on an unlicensed shop that was building unmarked sub machine guns for the South American trade.
It was rumored that LBJ had known of the shop and had given his private blessing.

Anyone remember the APACHE semi auto rifle that looked similar to a Thompson? NOT THE REMINGTON .22! I remember seeing them advertized in magazines in the late 1960s.

Then production was stopped because it was found that if you pulled the trigger and pressed the safety at the same time the gun would go full auto.

This gun was used in a plot line for some cop show in the early 1970s. It may have been POLICE STORY.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0676343/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_20

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Here is a link to the Apache rifle.

http://www.azfirearms.com/p-1702-apache-arms-aii-in-45-acp-semi-auto-rifle-unfired.aspx

[onedoug]

Si.

[ought-six]

Is anyone surprised at this? Mexico has annexed California.

[Tainan]

Once upon a time, there was a very famous museum that sold "replica" models of historically famous firearms.
These were made of high grade steel and functioned "just like the originals."

Funny thing, at the same time, a very well-known weekly(?) gun newspaper offered components that, with some very basic machine-shop skills, enabled some interested person the ability to make the "museum replica" guns return to their original functional ability.

Of course, this was a few decades ago and I've just heard 2nd and 3rd hand stories about this.

[Robert357]

What racism! They just came to the US to do the work that American workers would not do! How can the federal government punish them for that! I mean really! (/sarcasm)

Seriously, isn't already illegal at the state and federal level to manufacture machine guns. They got caught, through the book at them.....oh and strengthen our border security while you are at it.