Biden administration crackdown on 'ghost guns' takes effect

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A new federal rule designed to crack down on "ghost guns," or privately assembled firearms, took effect on Wednesday, the Department of Justice announced. 

"These guns have often been sold as build-your-own kits that contain all or almost all of the parts needed to quickly build an unmarked gun. And anyone could sell or buy these guns without a background check," Attorney General Merrick Garland said Wednesday.  "That changes today. This rule will make it harder for criminals and other prohibited persons to obtain untraceable guns. It will help to ensure that law enforcement officers can retrieve the information they need to solve crimes. And it will help reduce the number of untraceable firearms flooding our communities."

U.S. President Joe Biden holds up a ghost gun kit while announcing new measures by his administration to fight ghost gun crime at the White House in, Washington, U.S., April 11, 2022.  (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

The rule, named "Definition of 'Frame or Receiver' and Identification of Firearms" in the federal register, clarifies which parts of a weapon must be marked with a serial number, mandates that background checks are run on homemade kits, and requires gun retailers to retain records for a longer period of time.  OHIO GOV DEWINE SIGNS BILL ALLOWING PEOPLE TO CARRY CONCEALED FIREARMS WITHOUT A PERMIT The Biden administration has framed the rule as part of an effort to crack down on crime.  

FILE - This Nov. 27, 2019, file photo shows "ghost guns" on display at the headquarters of the San Francisco Police Department in San Francisco.  (AP Photo/Haven Daley, File)

"The United States Department of Justice is making it illegal for a business to manufacture on of these without a serial number," Biden said in April when he originally announced the new rules. "These guns are weapons of choice for many criminals." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

From 2016 to 2021, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives received more than 45,000 privately made firearms from law enforcement, according to the DOJ. 

Paul Best is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Paul.best@fox.com and on Twitter: @KincaidBest. 

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El Salvador arrests 50,000 since 'war on gangs' crackdown

Almost 69 percent of detainees are accused of belonging to the notorious Mara Salvatrucha gang, officials say. Rights groups have denounced arbitrary arrest of many people, including minors, with no gang links.

The small Central American country has increased sentences for gang membership five-fold, to up to 45 years. (Reuters Archive)

El Salvador has arrested some 50,000 suspected gang members since President Nayib Bukele launched a "war on gangs" in March on criminal groups harassing the country, the head of the country's police force announced.

"We can inform the Salvadoran people that we have already reached 50,000 recorded detentions during the period of the emergency regime," said Mauricio Arriaza, director of the National Civil Police on Tuesday.

Arriaza, as well as Justice Minister Gustavo Villatoro and Defence Minister Rene Merino, appeared on Tuesday in front of parliament to request an extension of the emergency powers, which have done away with the need for arrest warrants.

They were first enacted in March and have been prolonged on a month-by-month basis.

The small Central American country has also increased sentences for gang membership five-fold, to up to 45 years.

To house some of the detainees, Bukele ordered the construction of a gigantic prison for 40,000 gang members in a rural area of the city of Tecoluca, in the centre of the country, which should be ready before the end of the year.

"The results of the emergency regime have been overwhelming, we have had a strong impact on these terrorist structures," Villatoro said on Tuesday in his report on the gang crackdowns.

READ MORE: El Salvador nets nearly 42,000 suspected gangsters since crackdown

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--NcL-hbW5E[/embed]

Surge in detentions

Almost 69 percent of the detainees are accused of belonging to the notorious Mara Salvatrucha gang –– also known as MS-13 –– followed by the Surenos faction of the Barrio 18 gang (17.7 percent) and the Revolucionarios faction of the same group (12.7 percent).

Rights groups have denounced the arbitrary arrest of many people, including minors, with no gang links.

In different operations, the police and the army have seized more than a million dollars, in addition to 1,283 weapons.

More than 1,500 vehicles, as well as drugs and cell phones, have also been seized.

The wave of detentions is unprecedented in the country of 6.5 million people, who have suffered decades of violent crime driven by powerful gangs such as MS-13 and Barrio 18.

These gangs count some 70,000 members, most of them now behind bars, according to the authorities.

READ MORE: El Salvador arrests 10,000 in ongoing crackdown on gangs

Source: AFP

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Sri Lanka president’s office to reopen after crackdown

Sri Lanka’s besieged presidential office will reopen on Monday (Jul 25), police said, days after anti-government demonstrators were flushed out in a military crackdown that triggered international condemnation.

Widespread public anger over the island’s unprecedented economic crisis saw protesters storm and occupy the colonial-era building earlier this month.

Soldiers were forced to rescue then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa from his nearby residence on the same day, with the leader fleeing to Singapore and resigning days later.

Troops armed with batons and automatic weapons cleared the 92-year-old presidential secretariat in a pre-dawn raid on Friday on the orders of Rajapaksa’s successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

At least 48 people were wounded and nine arrested in the operation, during which security forces tore down tents set up by protesters outside the complex since April.

“The office is ready for reopening from Monday,” said a police official on Sunday, who declined to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media.

“The siege of the secretariat, which lasted since May 9, has now been lifted.”

Police said forensic experts had been called in to check damage to the presidential secretariat and gather evidence.

Western governments, the United Nations and human rights groups have condemned Wickremesinghe for using violence against unarmed protesters who had announced their intention to vacate the site later on Friday.

Wickremesinghe defended the crackdown and said he had told Colombo-based diplomats on Friday that blocking government buildings was unacceptable.

Police spokesman Nihal Talduwa said protesters were free to continue their demonstrations at a designated site near the presidential office.

“They can remain at the official protest site. The government may even open a few more places for demonstrators in the city,” Talduwa said on Sunday.

The military operation to clear the secretariat building and its immediate surroundings came less than 24 hours after Wickremesinghe was sworn in and just before a new Cabinet was appointed.

Sri Lanka’s 22 million people have also endured months of lengthy blackouts, record inflation and shortages of food, fuel and petrol.

Its government is officially bankrupt, having defaulted on its US$51 billion foreign debt, and is currently in bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund.

The economic crisis which fuelled the protest campaign shows no sign of easing, but the government announced on Sunday it would reopen schools which had remained shut for the better part of a month.

The education ministry said students and teachers will be asked to return to school only for three days each week as transport is still hampered by a national fuel shortage.

Miles-long queues of motorists waiting to fill up were seen across the country Sunday despite the government introducing a rationing system.

New president Wickremesinghe has said he will unveil a fresh budget for the rest of the year in August as previous revenue and expenditure estimates were unrealistic.

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