Fish and Wildlife and Homeland Security raided Gibson Guitars for the second time this week. Think SWAT Teams with rifles and vests. The confiscated Indian wood (rosewood and ebony) Gibson claims was properly imported the first time. That was last year and Gibson is now suing to get their $500,000 of property back, because no charges have been filed. It appears the suit will be a no-brainer and the government will lose, so HS staged a second raid as a warning tactic, according to many in the know.
See Gibson's president: gibson-ceo-says-wood-is-properly-imported
gibson_guitar_facilities_raided
They couldn't just knock on the door?
Scary part for musicians: Consider carefully whether or not you should take your antique guitar with you on vacation to another country.
Update from WSJ: WSJ - Gibson Guitar Now antique pianos are endangered too. One dealer fined $17,500 for pianos that are grandfathered but for which he didn't have all the paperwork. How do you prove wood provenance on 100 year old pianos?
And: Michelle Obama is also guilty of a criminal misconduct because in 2009 she presented Carlos Sarkozy of France with a Gibson Hummingbird that contained rosewood.
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