US Military Raids Las Vegas Gun Shop

[RakuraiTenjin]

And it's got nothing to do with guns.


http://www.ktnv.com/news/local/128140053.html

New information gives us an insight on the massive raid that up until now, authorities were tight-lipped about. Turns out it was the Air Force Office of Special Investigations that led the raid.

Scary precedent is being set every day. Yet again, the Federal government is overstepping it's Constitutional boundaries. The US military was never intended to perform ordinary police actions in peace/non emergency time within its own borders.

Expect things like this to become more commonplace. I urge those of you in Nevada to write to your Congressmen about this. It's a big deal.

Posse Comitatus Act, anyone?

18 U.S.C. § 1385. Use of Army and Air Force as posse comitatus
Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

10 U.S.C. § 375. Restriction on direct participation by military personnel
The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to ensure that any activity (including the provision of any equipment or facility or the assignment or detail of any personnel) under this chapter does not include or permit direct participation by a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps in a search, seizure, arrest, or other similar activity unless participation in such activity by such member is otherwise authorized by law.

I expect heads to roll. From Wikipedia (I didnt even know about this incident until just now)

On March 10, 2009, active duty Army military police troops from Fort Rucker were deployed to Samson, Alabama in response to a murder spree. Samson officials confirmed that the soldiers assisted in traffic control and securing the crime scene. The governor of Alabama did not request military assistance nor did President Obama authorize their deployment. Subsequent investigation found that the Posse Comitatus Act was violated and several military members received "administrative actions."

 

[Shyam]

Maybe the military ran out of guns ?

You ever thought about that ? You want your men and women to serve without guns ? You traitor

 

[AtomicSpark]

Terrorist!

 

[Krynn72]

I expect heads to roll. From Wikipedia (I didnt even know about this incident until just now)

If you're expecting heads to roll because of the story you quoted from wikipedia, just make sure you're keeping an eye out for crumbling skulls after four years of decay rolling around, not freshly lopped noggins.

 

[DEATH eVADER]

Maybe the military ran out of guns ?

You ever thought about that ? You want your men and women to serve without guns ? You traitor

Bow and Arrow. Guns are for chumps

 

[Escaep]

Bow and Arrow. Guns are for chumps

Bare hands. Bows and Arrows are for chumps!

 

[CptStern]

Let me say up front that I am as far right as they come, so my perspective on this is tempered by my hardcore conservative beliefs. If I sniffed even a whiff of a Constitutional issue, I’d be the first to throw a flag on the field and call the military out for a violation. But nothing untoward occurred in Las Vegas.

I am also a retired career OSI Special Agent, having served over 25 years in that capacity. When I retired in 2007, as a Colonel, I was one of the organization’s senior-most agents and Region Commanders. I’ve been involved in many investigations and operations where the Air Force OSI has executed warrants or subpoenas in the civilian community, especially at the offices of defense contractors. It happens quite often, so I can speak with authority about the Las Vegas raid.

The Air Force OSI is one of a handful of Military Criminal Investigative Organizations (MCIOs) that can receive and execute federal subpoena authority from the Department of Defense Inspector General (DoD/IG).

This subsection (5 USC Section 8 (c) (8)) gives the DoD/IG the authority to request the Air Force OSI to execute a subpoena on its behalf, as it did in the Las Vegas raid.

This provision states explicitly that the Posse Comitatus Act does not apply to such audits and investigations; therefore, Posse Comitatus was never an issue in Las Vegas.

http://biggovernment.com/mangley/20...s-vegas-gun-shop-not-as-sinister-as-reported/

 

[Stigmata]

"This provision states explicitly that the Posse Comitatus Act does not apply to such audits and investigations; therefore, Posse Comitatus was never an issue in Las Vegas."

I love bureaucratic logic. "We're not breaking this rule, we made a new one."

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

http://biggovernment.com/mangley/20...s-vegas-gun-shop-not-as-sinister-as-reported/

This is terrible. The entire point of Posse Comitatus is overrun by a stupid regulation such as that. The point is to keep military out of LEO roles. They military, in any regard, is never meant to be used against US citizens in a day-to-day law enforcement role. The only exceptions being in specific insurrections/major emergencies such as the LA riots, disasters, etc

A commentor on the site you gave also raises a good question: "Hmmm. I'm not convinced yet. The language Mr. Angley cites specifically addresses "audits and investigations." Do raids on private businesses fall under "investigations?" Using the expansive language Mr. Angley chooses, they do, but I'm not so sure that really passes muster. There's a big difference between conducting an investigation and leading an enforcement action. "

I can understand that provision allowing the AF OSI to pour over data / analyze things and report their findings to LEO. But to deploy military personnel into a potential firefight with civilians executing a law enforcement task is completely wrong. The seperation of powers (not just between our 3 branches of government but between agencies themselves as well) exist for a reason!

 

[Maestro]

"This provision states explicitly that the Posse Comitatus Act does not apply to such audits and investigations; therefore, Posse Comitatus was never an issue in Las Vegas."

I love bureaucratic logic. "We're not breaking this rule, we made a new one."

****ing this.

 

[Shyam]

Bare hands. Bows and Arrows are for chumps!

Your dicks. Bare hands are for chumps.

War is a dick measuring contest anyway.

 

[Krynn72]

"This provision states explicitly that the Posse Comitatus Act does not apply to such audits and investigations; therefore, Posse Comitatus was never an issue in Las Vegas."

I love bureaucratic logic. "We're not breaking this rule, we made a new one."

Same logic used to get Super PACs. Normal PACs had restrictions, so they made Super PACs that let people circumvent them.