More than 52,000 imported gun parts that violate a federal embargo at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports have been seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.
The items, including firearm sights, stocks, muzzles, kits and grips, were seized in three shipments from China that violate the Chinese Arms Embargo, the Border Patrol announced Thursday, Aug. 22. Federal regulations impose importation restrictions to certain countries to the U.S., which maintains an arms embargo. China is one of those countries.
The parts themselves are not illegal, but importing the parts from China into the United States violated the embargo.
The first seizure occurred about three months ago and the latest was in recent weeks, Border Patrol spokesman Jaime Ruiz said Friday. The parts were found on the ocean containers of a legitimate gun-parts seller and distributor, he added.
“They were not being hidden like in other cases, these were upfront,” Ruiz said. “The merchandise and the boxes were not hidden. This is just a regulation issue. Because all of the gun parts (that were seized), you can buy those here in the U.S.”
The parts have a combined domestic value of about $378,000. Border Patrol officers referred the gun parts to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who confirmed the parts were in violation of the embargo.
“We work closely with our strategic partners to ensure import compliance while maintaining the highest standards of security at our nation’s largest seaport,” said LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Border Patrol Port Director of the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.
