More than 3,000 sheriffs nationwide are demanding that President Biden stop the sale of a major manufacturer of gun ammunition and primers to a foreign buyer with ties to Russia and China.
The sale of Vista Outdoor’s Sporting Products division, which has been a “trusted partner” to local, state and federal law enforcement agencies for decades, is coming under renewed scrutiny. The company represents the well-known brands CCI, Federal, HEVI-Shot, Remington and Speer.
Vista Sporting Products provides “critical supplies of primers and ammunition for service and training” to police forces across the country. Primers are the firing portion of a bullet that projects it out of a gun.
The buyer, Czechoslovak Group (CSG), one of Europe’s largest ammunition producers, entered into an agreement with Vista Sporting Goods in October 2023 for a cash sale worth $1.91 billion, expected to close in 2024 are completed.
However, CSG is said to have ties to Russia and China, which could have implications for US national security. And law enforcement officials worry the deal could impact their trusted supply chain.
The sale of Vista Outdoor’s Sporting Products division, which has been a “trusted partner” to local, state and federal law enforcement for decades, is under renewed scrutiny
Vista Sporting Products provides ‘critical supplies of primers and ammunition for service and training’ to police forces nationwide
However, CSG has ties to Russia and China, which could have implications for U.S. national security
In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Homeland Security Sec. First obtained by DailyMail.com this week, Alejandro Mayorkas said sheriffs say they are concerned about a disruption to their critical supplies as a result of the sale.
Sheriffs say they are concerned about a disruption to their critical supplies as a result of the sale.
In particular, a ‘foreign company that controls almost 70% of the Western supply of primers’ is not an ideal situation.
“During this time of increased global demand, any disruption in access to affordable and reliable American ammunition and impact weapons will harm sheriffs’ offices across the country,” they continue.
“In addition, CSG’s ownership of Vista Sporting Products could limit the ability of some law enforcement agencies with foreign procurement restrictions to continue purchasing supplies. This would come at a time when many of our members are still experiencing shortages due to supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19.”
Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., also raised similar concerns last month, saying the proposed takeover could harm national security.
He asked Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to thoroughly review the sale to ensure it will not negatively impact the country due to CSG’s apparent ties between Russia and China.
One of CSG’s subsidiaries, Dako-CZ, apparently worked on a project with Huawei – a Chinese telecommunications conglomerate that has worked to steal US trade secrets.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that if the deal goes through, CSG “will immediately become a major player in the U.S. munitions industry, despite national security concerns.”
He said CSG once sponsored an “exhibition in Moscow to help Russian authorities secure European military technologies and claimed to have ties to Putin’s inner circle.”
Additionally, Trump’s former national security adviser Robert O’Brien and Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, have also warned about CSG’s alleged ties to Russia.
However, CSG spokesperson Andrej Cirtek told DailyMail.com that CSG’s sale ‘bring America’s small munitions producers the stability and investment they need.”
He also stated that the company has no ties to China and Russia, saying that rumors to the contrary ‘complete nonsense.’
“We are one of the main private arms suppliers to Ukraine and several of our companies have NATO security clearances,” he added, saying that more than 60 percent of their defense production goes to NATO, “never to Russia or China.”
Jason Vanderbrink, president and CEO of Federal Ammunition and Remington Ammunition, similarly claimed that the “Internet rumor mill” has “made inaccurate statements about our company.”
“Our ammunition brands are proudly made in the United States, and we are known for our American heritage,” he said in a video statement.
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is also investigating the sale.
According to Axios, the Biden administration is giving CFIUS a “sharper scalpel” to investigate foreign investments.
Included in the proposed changes to CFIUS authority, the agency could impose a civil penalty for “misstatements or omissions” in a return up to $5 million, from as little as $250,000.
The sheriffs’ demand comes days before Biden meets with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the White House on Monday.
The White House billed the meeting as a way to “further strengthen” the U.S.-Czech relationship and “reaffirm their resolute support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s war of aggression.”
Sheriffs say they are concerned about a disruption to their critical supplies as a result of the sale
In particular, a ‘foreign company that controls almost 70% of the Western supply of primers’ is not an ideal situation
Biden and Fiala are expected to discuss a number of “shared priorities” during the visit, including “security issues, economic opportunities that benefit the American and Czech people, and shared democratic values.”
It is unclear whether this proposed sale will be discussed during their closed-door meeting.