CBS News: ATF's mysterious grenade smuggler case: new photos, documents turned over to Congress

[friendly_iconoclast]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by krispos42 (a host of the Gun Control & RKBA group).

http://www.cbsnews.com/2102-31727_162-57421072.html

April 25, 2012 1:23 PM
ATF's mysterious grenade smuggler case: new photos, documents turned over to Congress

By Sharyl Attkisson

Evidence photos just turned over to Congress under subpoena show a frightening stash of grenade parts, fuse assemblies and more than 2,000 rounds of ammunition. It was all hidden in a spare tire of an SUV crossing from the US to Mexico in 2010. The accused smuggler, an alleged drug cartel arms dealer named Jean Baptise Kingery, was questioned by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) but released....

...Documents show ATF secretly intercepted the grenade bodies Kingery had ordered, marked them, and delivered them to him on Jan. 26, 2010. Their plan was to follow Kingery to his weapons factory in Mexico, with help from Mexican authorities Immigration and Customs (ICE). ...

...ATF officials in Mexico worried that once Kingery and the grenades crossed the border, they would disappear. And that's exactly what happened. Though ATF agents say they'd given all the specifics to Mexican military and police, the Mexicans failed to stop Kingery once he crossed into Mexico.

Four months later, Kingery surfaced again in the U.S. This time, the Border Patrol caught him trying to smuggle the new stash of grenade hulls shown in the photos. ATF questioned him but, once again, he was let go. Nobody has stepped forward to explain why Kingery was released after this incident. He allegedly continued to supply the Mexican drug cartels for another year and a half....

Failed sting, my ass!

[Gman]

1. I guess it's technically not illegal to have grenade parts

it's the difference between having a working grenade and not. Some loophole in the law they know about and exploit.

And if it doesn't have the explosive material, they can't get him on having parts to make a bomb.

[GreenStormCloud]

2. Grenade hulls are legal to own. No special requirements needed.

You can buy grenade paperweights which are simply grenades without the explosive filler and with an inactive fuse.
http://www.trueswords.com/hand-grenade-paperweight-pineapple-p-2417.html

Active fuse assemblies may not be legal to own. Ammo is also legal to own.

I am talking about in the U.S. as I have no idea what Mexican law says.

[rl6214]

5. Illegal to take any ammo into Mexico.

They will even imprison you if you have an empty shell casing rolling around the floor of your old pickup.

[oneshooter]

6. All of the paper weight "grenades" are practice 'nades.

They can not be filled as the bodies are solid, except for a 1" space (hole) from the bottom to near the the top. The fuses on them are all used, no fuse left in them. The hole is so the weight of the practice unit is the same as the real one.
I have several and use them as part of a display I take to the local High School, (with the districts permission) of WW2 equipment. This includes original uniforms, LBE, weapons, and a 1951 M38a1, complete with working radios and a pintel mounted 1919a4 (semi-auto).

Been doing this since before 9/11. Have a school police officer to check all arms and equipment.

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[Atypical Liberal]

9. I suspect most of the paperweights are also made out of pot metal these days

I bought a WWII "pineapple" style of fake grenade back in the 80's. It appears to be made of actual cast iron. Some of them I've seen since look like they are made out of zinc or some other pot metal...I'm not sure they would make much of a bang even if filled with powder.

I toyed with the idea of plugging the hole in the bottom of mine with JB weld and sticking a cannon fuse down the cap from the original fuse and filling the thing with gunpowder to see what it would do.

Didn't want to lose my paperweight, though.

[Horatio12]

7. A classic grenade look like

A classic grenade look like a little false tablet that is fixed within a cylinder with rushed green chat. though not really an definite grenade, the grenade can work akin to a shotgun shell that can tear into numerous tiny pieces, destroying a wider region and beating multiple targets all at once.

[PavePusher]

8. Ummm... What? n/t

[Pacafishmate]

10. Indeed.

[ileus]

3. funshow loophole strikes again.

[rl6214]

4. Sharryl Attkisson, the only one really still on top of things

Much more so than the ATF

[Horatio12]

11. These Grenades

These Grenades look like small balls just like a christmas balls....but one thing is real its explosion is really huge.

[Horatio12]

12. In Smuggler case

In Smuggler case they found very rare information about weapons and grenades and it is a good decision for congress !!!!

[Horatio12]

13. Grenade

A grenade is any volatile tool intended to be terrified by hand.

[Horatio12]

14. I want to share

I want to share my knowledge here… fiery grenades first appeared in Europe throughout the 17th century.

[Horatio12]

15. Last night

Last night i was searching about grenades but i have found a very nice sword from swordsswords.

[Horatio12]

16. grenade

i want a big grenade !!!

[Horatio12]

18. In a timed combine grenade

In a timed combine grenade the blend is ignited ahead free of the security knob. Air rupture shells are ablaze from launchers and detonate after a fixed time matching with the coldness to the aim.

[oneshooter]

19. ???

[rrneck]

21. I think it's a beer and travel money thing. nt

[57_TomCat]

20. Every one of those grenade bodies...

are hollow cast iron practice grenades with a hollow interior and a hole in the bottom. The fuses in the pile in the upper left are light blue painted spoons(the grenade lever) indicating practice type. Those fuses, when expended, are often sold with the practice grenade bodies as paper weights or toys. Most army/navy stores have them for sale and there is no restriction on their purchase or possession in most localities.

The ammo is also legal to own or possess so I can easily see why he was not charged on this side of the border. It would be up to Mexico to catch and charge him for violations of their laws.

I have four of them myself that I use as photo props.

[krispos42]

22. Locking

Grenades don't seem to fall under the SoP of the Group, which is firearm laws, armed self-defense, and the 2nd Amendment.

This seems to be GD fodder.

Regards,
Krispos42, Group Host