An 18-year-old El Paso man is facing weapons charges after police say they pulled an illegal 3-D-printed handgun and an AR-style rifle from his vehicle following reports of gunfire near the Scenic Drive overlook. Officers later identified the suspect in jail records as Raul Paez, who was booked on weapons-related counts and then released after posting a surety bond, according to those records.
How police say it unfolded
According to KFOX14/CBS4, officers patrolling the 1900 block of Montana Avenue reported hearing gunshots coming from the Scenic Drive overlook and headed that way to investigate. A short time later, they found a Chevrolet Tahoe on the 2500 block of Wheeling Avenue and spoke with the driver.
During that encounter, police say they discovered an AR-style rifle and what they described as an illegal 3-D-printed handgun inside the vehicle, not exactly standard-issue road-trip gear. The outlet reported that photos of the seized weapons were credited to the El Paso Police Department's Facebook account.
What the charges mean
Paez was booked on counts local authorities described as unlawful carrying of a weapon and discharge of a firearm in certain municipalities. Texas law spells those out in detail. The offense of unlawful carrying of weapons is defined in Penal Code Section 46.02, as explained by Justia. Reckless discharge of a firearm inside a municipality of 100,000 people or more is outlined in Penal Code Section 42.12, according to Justia.
Under Texas law, both offenses are typically treated as Class A misdemeanors unless certain aggravating factors apply. Penalties can climb if a defendant is otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms under state or federal statutes.
Federal rules and 'ghost guns'
The 3-D-printed handgun falls into what regulators label privately made firearms or "ghost guns," a catchall term that has become a growing concern for law enforcement. Federal officials have tightened rules around unfinished kits and 3-D-printed parts so that many components now fall under existing firearm identification and recordkeeping requirements.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives' final "frame or receiver" rule and related guidance, discussed by the ATF, work in tandem with Justice Department policy outlined by the Justice Department. That framework has led to more enforcement activity and tighter requirements for serial numbers and records when these parts or kits move through the commercial market.
Local trend
This case is landing in the middle of what appears to be a local uptick in ghost gun encounters. Earlier in May, deputies seized a ghost gun during a wrong-way driving stop, according to KVIA. Investigators have increasingly pointed to unmarked or homemade weapons as a public-safety concern across the region.
Court dates and any additional filings in Paez's case were not listed in publicly available records at the time of this report.
