Dozens Of Ghost Guns Seized During IE Gang Crackdown: Sheriff

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — Dozens of illegal firearms were seized during a joint law enforcement operation in the Inland Empire, including 40 ghost guns, and six people were arrested on felony charges, authorities announced Tuesday.

Between Nov. 2 and Nov. 8, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department and personnel from partnering agencies served nine search warrants and contacted suspects throughout the county.

The department's San Bernardino Movement Against Street Hoodlums (SMASH) Street Enforcement Team also conducted proactive patrols in San Bernardino and surrounding areas, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

During the operation, investigators contacted known gang members and people prohibited from possessing firearms. The enforcement efforts resulted in the seizure of 47 firearms, 40 of which were identified as ghost guns, authorities said.

The operation is part of Operation Consequences, a countywide crime suppression effort funded through an allocation authorized by the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.

The funding provides additional resources to the Sheriff's Department for increased law enforcement services targeting crime and quality-of-life concerns in communities throughout the county.

The initiative is expected to continue over the next several months, with the goals of curbing violent crime, disrupting and dismantling targeted criminal street gangs, and locating and arresting individuals involved in the illegal possession, manufacture and trafficking of firearms, authorities said.

No additional information was immediately available.