Gun Rights in Amexica. ATF investigating ordinary citizens in Border States
Monday, August 24, 2009
By Carl Braun
Examiner.com
AN ARRAY OF GUNS SEIZED BY ATF AGENTS
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In the twenty-four counties that run along the border with Mexico, residents have been arming up for years. They do after all live in the most dangerous place in America. Now comes word that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) is visiting the homes of citizens in border states to verify their guns and serial numbers. The reason given is simple though obfuscated. They are protecting the citizens of MEXICO from illicit transfer of firearms into THAT country.In an article published in the National Rifle Association’s magazine, the American Rifleman, the organization warned of unannounced visits by BATFE agents to members homes in the border states ostensibly to look for unusual or illegal weapons. The investigations were prompted by purchases by US citizens of firearms that are illegal in Mexico. That nearly all guns are illegal in Mexico provides ample cover it appears.
The Agents are part of a new program called “Project Gunrunner” which according to the ATF’s website: is deploying its resources strategically on the Southwest Border to deny firearms, the “tools of the trade,” to criminal organizations in Mexico and along the border, and to combat firearms-related violence affecting communities on both sides of the border.
The NRA advises members to be aware of their constitutional rights if approached by such agents. Protection from warrantless and unlawful search and seizure is a right found in the 4th Amendment and there are few loopholes for the Agency to use to gain access to your property without a warrant. For that they must also have probable cause that you have committed a crime. According to the article that hasn’t stopped BATFE agents from using heavy-handed tactics with citizens.
In a report written entitled: The State Of Amexica, I assembled these twenty-four counties into a fictional 51st State to compare it against the other fifty. The results were startling. This 51st State, which I call Amexica, is number one in crime, violent crime, crimes involving children, crimes involving drugs, Federal crimes and immigration crimes. It is dead last in the support from Federal agencies in law enforcement, healthcare, education, transportation and essential services. This is a very dangerous area and citizens have the right to protect themselves. They also have the Constitutional right to bear arms and to refuse access to their homes by Federal Agents on what some have called a “witch-hunt.”
Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, the National Guard and Police were dispatched to citizen homes to confiscate firearms. The step from asking for voluntary compliance with inspections to breaking down the door forcefully in the dark of night is a slippery one and one that all Americans must be concerned about. In a video these attacks and confiscations by Police are described.
Anyone who has had visits by BATFE and asked to show their firearms are encouraged to seek legal representation and to notify the NRA’s Office of Legislative Counsel at 703-267-1161. Anyone who has information about illicit transfer of firearms across the border into Mexico is advised to call BATFE at 1-800-ATF-GUNS (1-800-283-4867)
Carl Braun is an analyst for the Homeland Security Policy Institute Group and he's logged 5,000-plus hours on the border. He has written several books including his most recent on Border Insecurity, “Above All Else”
. Contact Carl at Carl.Braun@BPAUX.org.
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