Inside story of ‘smuggler with golden gun’: American charged after Border Force find

An American accused of smuggling a 24-carat gold-plated semi-automatic pistol into Australia has been exposed as a heavily tattooed graphic designer known by the alias “River.”

Liliana Goodson, 28, who uses the pronouns “she/it” would have stood out to other passengers on the 15-hour flight from Los Angeles to Sydney that landed at Sydney Airport at 7:05 am on Sunday.

Goodson wore a bright yellow jumpsuit, platform pumps and blue hair to complement her extreme piercings and multi-face tattoos.

Shortly after landing, a scan of Goodson’s luggage by Border Force agents reportedly discovered a gold-plated 1911 Colt 45 style pistol.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal that Goodson – who also goes by the name River SolDorado Salvatore Chunga – had a job in Australia and planned to live in the trendy beachside suburb of Bondi.

But those plans fell through after the discovery of the $2,000 gold-plated gun in Goodson’s briefcase.

Goodson was taken to Surry Hills Police Station and charged with deliberately importing a prohibited item without permission.

The offense carries a maximum sentence of ten years in prison if convicted. Goodson also faces visa cancellation and deportation back to the US.

Goodson appeared in Sydney’s Downing Center court on Monday, where she paid $10,000 to secure her bail.

The US citizen must stay in a boutique guest house in Bondi until the next trial on May 10.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal that Goodson grew up in the southern state of Alabama in the US and studied physics at Troy University after graduating from high school.

Goodson worked in various hospitality jobs after 2016 and worked as a tattoo artist in Andalucia for three years before moving to Los Angeles and taking up freelance graphic design.

In March, Goodson wrote a post in an LA-based Facebook group asking if there are any users who would foster two dogs for about eight months.

“I am traveling abroad for work and unfortunately the process of exporting my loves is a long process due to country requirements,” they wrote.

“I’d love to stay in touch for updates, and also for someone who can work with me as I continue their process of about half a year so they can eventually join me overseas.”

Importing a dog from the US to Australia is a lengthy and expensive process that involves multiple government-approved vets, blood tests, parasite checks, and mandatory 10-day quarantine on arrival.

Following Goodson’s arrest, Australian Border Force commander Justin Bathurst said the agency was able to prevent the deadly weapon from entering the community through the combined efforts of ABF officer skills and advanced detection technology.

“We have seen how good ABF agents are at detecting and stopping illegal and highly dangerous goods crossing the Australian border,” he said.

“The ABF is Australia’s first and foremost line of defence.

“ABF agents are committed to protecting our community by working with law enforcement partners to prevent items such as unregistered firearms from reaching the border.”

American gun nut known for brandishing a semi-automatic rifle in college is stunned when she confronts an Australian who supports basic gun control

By Brett Lackey

A US pro-firearms activist has clashed with an Australian on the streets of New York over his support for fundamental gun control laws.

Kaitlin Bennett, 27, interviewed people for her right-wing site Liberty Hangout in the clip shared on TikTok this week, which has been viewed more than a million times.

Bennett made headlines in 2018 when she showed up a day after graduating from Kent State University in Ohio with an Armalite AR-10 semi-automatic rifle strapped to her back.

The then 22-year-old posed for photos wearing a graduation cap with the words “come and take it” written on it, which she said was a protest against the university’s policy prohibiting students and staff from carrying “lethal weapons” on campus.

In the clip, which was filmed in 2019 but went viral again, Bennett asks the Australian man, who appeared to be with a group about to attend a show in Times Square, if “You have the right to bear arms there?’ .

The man replies, “Yeah… but licensed so they don’t fall into the hands of idiots and you’ve got all those high school massacres.”

“So you have gun control? That’s terrible, I don’t want to live there,” Bennett tells the man.

Bennett regularly appears on social media brandishing various weapons and expressing her support for hard-right politicians such as Donald Trump and Florida governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis.

Bennett asks the man if he thought gun control was a good thing.

‘Absolute!’ the man replies.

Bennett argued, ‘Why should my right of self-defense be checked? Why do I need a permit to protect myself from a madman?’

The man replies, ‘Because it prevents guns from falling into the wrong hands. There is a strict screening process.’

Bennett then argued that she has the right to self-defense and protection of her property and asked that the government should “take charge of my self-defense.”

“Are you happy that innocent people are being killed because the evidence shows that’s what’s happening? The proof is in the pudding,’ the man replied.

Australia’s gun laws changed in 1996, spearheaded by former Prime Minister John Howard after the Port Arthur massacre, and since then, in stark contrast to the United States, the country has seen almost no mass shootings.

The man then tells Bennett he has to go to a concert and walks off with his group.

“Never become civilians, boys,” Bennett shouts.

Commentators on the clip appeared to side with the Australian man in the debate.

“Gun laws put an end to the need for so much self-defense…is she that naive?” one person said.

“He wiped the floor with her and she still thinks she’s right.” said another.

“Typical, assuming everyone wants to be American.” added a third.