Minutemen Deny Purchase From Arms Company
Troy Houghton, Western area coordinator of the Minutemen, today denied published reports that his organization has purchased or contracted for any automatic weapon or weapons from the Erquiga Arms Co. in the City of Industry.
State Atty. Gen. Thomas C. Lynch’s men and deputies seized 173 machine-type guns and other weapons at the arms plant Friday.
Lynch said he believed some of the weapons were destined for “private armies” and mentioned the Minutemen.
Terry B. Rody of San Diego also issued a denial that the “Erquiga Arms Co. has in its possession a machine gun alleged to belong to me.”
“Any connection between myself and the arms company,” he said, concerned only the identification of a particular sporting rifle, “and at no time was there any discussion or mention of any other weapons in any form.”
Owners of the plant said they had a Federal license to make machine guns for Troops of Cuba’s Fidel Castro in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican ambassador yesterday denied that his government had ordered any weapons.
Lynn D. Compton, chief deputy district attorney, conferred with representatives of the district attorney’s office and the attorney general’s office and said the district attorney’s office participated only in the preparation of
the search warrant in connection with the raid.
“We have requested that they furnish us with additional written reports,” Compton said. “When we have received all evidence, we will evaluate it and determine what action is appropriate.”
PERMIT REFUSED
A spokesman for Lynch’s office said the company’s export license, which had been applied for last Jan. 4, was refused by the State Department.
He said the firm had been cautioned four months ago that registration of any Federal licensed it was required to have state licenses.
And he added that silencers — three were reportedly confiscated at the arms plant — were illegal in California.
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Costa Rica Purchase of Guns Denied
The Costa Rican government Monday denied Lowell Knudsen’s statement that it had ordered 300 submachine guns from his City of Industry plant for use by anti-Castro Cubans.
Knudsen made the statement after federal, state and county officers seized 373 machine guns and other arms from the Erquiga Arms Co. at 18038 E. Proctor Ave. Friday. Monday, Knudsen said he was starting court action to have the seized arms returned to the factory.
Earlier Monday, California Atty. Gen. Thomas Lynch reported the U.S. State Department denied another Knudsen statement that he was making the guns for Costa Rica with State Department approval. Instead, the State Department said a request from the company for an export license had been denied and the department had no intention of issuing the company an export license.
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