Guest Editorial
BY J-P. A. MALDONADO | JULY 20, 2011
Criminals in our federal government?
Our nation’s capital is awash in scandals concerning the illegal export of firearms to the drug cartels in México and to the Mara Salvatrucha 13 gang in Central America. The former act resulted in the murder of a Border Patrol agent in Nogales with a weapon traced to an illegal export of munitions to the Mexican drug cartels; we have yet to determine what horrible crimes will be carried out as a result of the latter act.
I worked for several years for a night-vision manufacturer in Arizona and another in Pennsylvania. With both companies, I was involved in the preparation of documents for the legal export of systems to countries in the State Department’s approved list. I even had to attend a training seminar at State, to learn the procedure. Moreover, I was in charge of training both military and law enforcement groups in client countries. At every level of the process, it was necessary to abide by 22 CFR, Sections 120 through 130, also known as “International Trade In Arms Regulations” (ITAR) even for training of the end-user. There is a specific license, known as a DSP-5, Permanent Export License, without which not a single bolt, nut or component may be shipped, and no training may be carried out. I recall being asked by Customs to show a copy of the DSP-5 upon my return from training missions in Colombia and Israel, among others. Some pertinent data follow:
§ 121.1 General. The United States Munitions List.
Category I - Firearms, Close Assault Weapons and Combat Shotguns
(a) Non-automatic and semi-automatic firearms to caliber .50 inclusive (12.7 mm)
(b) Fully automatic firearms to .50 caliber inclusive (12.7 mm)
§ 127.1 Violations.
(a) It is unlawful
(1) To export or attempt to export from the United States … any defense article or technical data or by anyone (emphasis added) of any U.S. origin defense article or technical data or to furnish any defense service for which a license or written approval is required by this subchapter without first obtaining the required license or written approval from the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (emphasis added).
(5) To engage the United States in the business of … exporting defense articles or furnishing defense services without complying with the registration requirements (emphasis added).
§ 127.3 Penalties for violations.
Any person who willfully
(a) Violates any provision of section 38 or section 39 of the Arms Export Control Act (USC 2778 and 2779), or any undertaking specifically required by part 124 of the subchapter, or
(b) In a registration, license application or report required by §38 or §39 of the Arms Export Control Act (22USC 2778 and 2779) or by any rule or regulation issued under either section, makes an untrue statement of a material fact or omits a material fact required to be stated therein not misleading (emphasis added) shall upon conviction be subject to a fine or imprisonment, or both, (emphasis added) as prescribed by 22 USC 2778(c).
Congress must investigate who ordered the illegal export of firearms, at ALL levels of the federal government, and determine WHO knew about the violations, and WHEN he knew it. If President Obama was a conspirator, he should be impeached by the House, even though the Marxists, Socialists, Democrats and RINO eunuchs in the Senate would never try him. He would still be unmasked as the Chicago gangster he seems to be. Attorney General of the United States Eric Holder and the hierarchy at the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (BATFE) should be indicted and prosecuted for violation of the Arms Export Control Act. Even Secretary of State Hillary Clinton should be investigated for possible conspiracy in this matter (ironically enough, she is trying to disarm the U.S. gun-owner by supporting the Arms Trade Treaty at the United Nations, while helping to illegally arm enemies of the United States!).
I urge every citizen to write to his Congress members (yes – even to our own RINO eunuch senator) to demand a full investigation of this sorry and patently unpatriotic event, and to copy U.S. Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) at:
The Hon. Darrell Issa (R-CA)
2187 Rayburn House Building
Washington, DC 20515
“… against all enemies, foreign and domestic …”
J-P A. Maldonado is a former Naval Flight Officer and night-vision trainer, and currently continues training citizens and LEGAL residents in gunnery and Concealed Carry certification.
