Posted on 06/18/2003 7:51:38 AM PDT by El Laton Caliente
REDMOND, Wash. -- ATF agents stormed into an Eastside business early this morning -- and they were tight lipped about what they're hunting for.
They're still there tonight -- packing up many boxes of evidence.
ATF agents say this is just routine enforcement -- but it looks like much more.
It's all happening in Redmond, Redmond Police are on the scene helping with traffic and security.
Sources tell us that it's the makings of serious weapons that spurred this raid."
"Next thing I know there was ATF people all over the place," said eyewitness Gary Wilson.
Those agents zeroed in on this place -- in a Redmond industrial park.
We've learned it belongs to a business called P-W Arms Incorporated -- that deals in ammunition.
A man who doesn't want to be identified says he's seen piles of old ammo inside.
"Enough to fill a couple of 48 foot trailers -- maybe two or three," he said.
ATF agents, most of them undercover, came prepared for a big haul.
"There was probably a hundred of those officers here - and they swarmed in and evidently there was 6 of these trucks lined up in the street waiting," said John Bovee.
All day they've been hauling crates out of the business. Sources tell us what they found here is guns -- imported in separate pieces so they're legal -- but the parts can be put together to create illegal assault rifles.
Officially -- ATF won't say much at all.
"Only thing I can say right now is that we have an ongoing investigation," said Matt Horace, ATF agent.
The number of agents is large -- the stacks of evidence keep growing -- and the work doesn't seem to be slowing down. Still, ATF insists this is a routine enforcement action-- and people shouldn't worry.
"There's no imminent threat to public safety and we'll be here as long as it takes to conduct our investigation," Horace said.
So far agents have been on the scene about 8 hours. Again, ATF officials won't confirm what this is all about.
But a source tells us this raid is not in connection with a large crime ring or terrorism
I wonder if these are the same guys the Democrats hire to work on airplanes.
Please explain how your survival is threatened. Or is this hyperbolic response also Pavlovian?
You know, when I read that it suddenly occurred to me that there are some Freepers who'd hear hooves and suspect demons....
And you got this inside information from whom?
The last that I have heard is that the rifle was "may" have been stolen.
Well, maybe if they hear thundering cloven hooves....
A million or so nontaxpayer funded badboys could put some serious stains in the pants of the tax funded badboys. The numbers alone would be mindnumbing. The key ingredients are organization, motivation, and a spine (along with a love of liberty).
This would constitute 'A well regulated milita'. That none exists in most men's minds today (for various reasons) represents the greatest threat to the 'security of the free state".
Every year toys are gathered by men on motorcycles for needy children before Christmas at our state capitol. What's so desperatly needed is a bi-annual gathering of men with guns to demonstrate to those with a notion to tread upon our liberties that they've got their work cut out for them. Our strength is in numbers and always will be.
That's because there are pistols chambered in those calibers. If someone started chambering a pistol in 50 BMG, they would probably outlaw surplus AP ammo in that clliber too. It doesn't make any difference to them that those calibers of 'pistols' are about as likely to be used in a crime against a cop in a vest as is a muzzle loading cannon .
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I was under the impression that all the parts of a full auto gun except the reciever were legal to own, import, and sell (as long as you don't also own a receiver that they could be potentially used in). They are advertised widely on the internet and in various gun publications.
I remember a few years back when a bunch of legaly imported AK47's were found to be full auto recievers that had just had the semi auto parts installed (some extra holes drilled in the receiver or something). The ATF recalled the guns and tracked down the purchasers of all the ones that had been sold. Wonder if this could be something similar?
Thirty years ago when you saw a picture of someone wearing a ski mask and carying a machine gun you'd think it was a picture of a big time criminal. Now you just sort of assume it's a law enforcment agent of some kind.
"There's no imminent threat to public safety--no, wait. . .there is, and it's us."--Bullying Aggressors Taking Firearms
I'm inclined to agree with you. They recently raided all the indian smoke shops here in Washington state. What infuriated me is that fact that our asinine governor couldn't get his own state people or tax officials to keep enforce the revenue and taxes missed because of a double standard law. So he called D.C. and got the SS to do his dirty work for him. What makes this infuriating to me is only ONE news source (a TV station in Spokane) in the state reported the story, and they were quickly GAGGED under the guise of "ongoing investigation". The streets are much safer now that tribal nations have been cut off from the smoke suppliers .
It wasn't "sold". The box for the rifle was still on the shelf. The dealer didn't know the rifle had left the shop. No record of sale. More like a theft and a failure to report the missing inventory.
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