Gang Members Reportedly Arrested on Gun Charges in Wasco
Two members of a known Wasco street gang were arrested on Tuesday, April 4, when deputies from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Wasco Substation executed a search warrant on the 1800 block of D Street.
According to a press release by the Sheriff’s Office, the raid was conducted with the assistance of members from the High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
During the search of the residence, deputies came into contact with Rene Fierro, a 25-year-old man from Wasco, and Edtson Vasquez, a 21-year-old man from Wasco. Fierro and Vasquez are both members of a Wasco street gang, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies discovered a loaded black, semi-automatic .9mm pistol without a serial number, commonly known as a “ghost gun,” along with a high-capacity magazine inside the residence.
Fierro, a convicted felon, was arrested on suspicion of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a high-capacity magazine, possession of an undetected firearm, participation in a criminal street gang, and willful cruelty of a child.
Vasquez was arrested and booked into the Kern County jail on an outstanding felony warrant from a separate investigation.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office is requesting anyone with information regarding either of these investigations to contact them at (661) 861-3110 or Secret Witness at (661) 322-4040.
Per NPR, “ghost guns” are guns that are privately constructed and, because they do not have a serial number, are entirely untraceable. They are often assembled from kits or 3D-printed components, and can be assembled in under an hour.
The outlet also spoke with Professor Alex Court, an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, who explained that because ghost guns are not considered guns until they are assembled and do not require a background check, anyone — including those who would typically be prohibited from firearms purchases due to past convictions for violence offenses — can purchase them.
