Over 3,000 Sheriffs Demand Biden BLOCKS Sale of Major Handgun Ammo and Primer Manufacturer to Foreign Buyer With Ties to Russia and China

Over 3,000 sheriffs nationwide are demanding that President Biden stop the sale of a major manufacturer of handgun ammunition and primer to a foreign buyer with ties to Russia and China.

The sale of Vista Outdoors’ Sporting Products business, which has been a ‘trusted partner’ of local, state and federal law enforcement for decades, is under fresh scrutiny. The company represents 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 law enforcement across the country. Primers are the firing part of a bullet that projects it out of a gun.

The buyer, Czechoslovak Group (CSG), which is one of the largest producers of ammunition in Europe, entered into an agreement with Vista Sporting Goods in October 2023 for a cash sale of $1.91 billion, which is expected to be completed in 2024.

However, CSG reportedly has ties to Russia and China, which could affect US national security. And law enforcement officials are concerned the deal could affect their trusted supply chain.

In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Department of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas this week obtained first by DailyMail.com, the sheriffs say they are concerned about a disruption of their critical supplies due to the sale.

Sheriffs say they are concerned about a disruption to their critical supplies due to the sale.

In particular, a “foreign company controlling almost 70% of the Western supply of primers” is not an ideal situation.

“At this time of increased global demand, any disruption to access to affordable and reliable American-made ammunition and primers will hurt sheriffs across the country,” they continue.

“In addition, CSG’s ownership of Vista Sporting Products may limit the ability of some law enforcement agencies with foreign procurement restrictions from continuing to purchase supplies. This would occur at a time when many of our members are still dealing with shortages spurred by the COVID-19- supply chain disruptions.’

Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., also raised similar concerns last month, saying the proposed acquisition could harm national security.

He asked Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to thoroughly review the sale to ensure it will not adversely affect the nation because of CSG’s apparent Russia-China ties.

One of CSG’s subsidiaries, Dako-CZ, was apparently working on a project with Huawei – a Chinese telecommunications conglomerate that has been working 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 US munitions industry despite national security concerns.’

He said CSG once sponsored an “exhibition in Moscow to help Russian authorities secure European military technologies and has alleged ties to Putin’s circle.”

In addition, former Trump national security adviser Robert O’Brien and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, have also warned about CSG’s alleged ties to Russia.

But CSG spokesman Andrej Cirtek told DailyMail.com that the sale allows CSG to ‘bring US small-caliber ammunition manufacturers the stability and investment they need.’

He also stated that the company has no ties to China and Russia and said that rumors to the contrary are ‘complete nonsense.’

‘We are one of the leading private suppliers of weapons to Ukraine and several of our companies have NATO security clearances,’ he added, saying that over 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 business.’

“Our ammunition brands are proudly made in the USA and we are known for American heritage,” he said in a video statement.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is also reviewing 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 would be able to impose a civil penalty for “misstatements or omissions” in a filing up to $5 million from just $250,000.

The demand from the sheriffs comes days before Biden is to meet with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala at the White House on Monday.

The White House announced the meeting as a way to ‘further strengthen’ US-Czech relations and ‘reaffirm their resolute support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s war of aggression.’

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 come up during their closed-door meeting.