America's DEA Ordered to Stop Searching Random Travellers at Airports - and Seizing Their Cash (atlantanewsfirst.com)
- Reference: 0175530549
- News link: https://yro.slashdot.org/story/24/11/24/0310249/americas-dea-ordered-to-stop-searching-random-travellers-at-airports---and-seizing-their-cash
- Source link: https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/11/21/justice-department-orders-all-consensual-searches-stopped-airports-after-anf-report/
> On Thursday, the department made public a November 12, 2024, directive from the deputy attorney general to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that it suspend "all consensual encounters at mass transportation facilities unless they are either connected to an ongoing, predicated investigation involving one or more identified targets or criminal networks or approved by the DEA Administrator based on exigent circumstances." The [2]management advisory memorandum was issued by DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz.
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> The memo specifically mentioned the case of an [3]airline passenger interviewed by Atlanta News First Chief Investigator Brendan Keefe, author of the Atlanta News First investigation, [4]In Plane Sight . The [5]award-winning series uncovered how drug agents have been seizing anything over $5,000 if airline passengers can't prove — on the spot — that their own money didn't come from drug trafficking. The government seizes the cash when no drugs are found, without arresting the traveler or charging them with a crime, and the DEA gets to keep the money it seizes.
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> After witnessing the Atlanta News First series, the passenger in question — who was departing from Cincinnati and heading to New York, where he lives — refused consent to have his bags searched at the gate... "The DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) further learned that the DEA Task Force Group selected this traveler for the encounter based on information provided by a DEA confidential source, who was an employee of a commercial airline, about travelers who had purchased tickets within 48 hours of the travel," the memo said. "The OIG learned that the DEA had been paying this employee a percentage of forfeited cash seized by the DEA office from passengers at the local airport when the seizure resulted from information the employee had provided to the DEA. The employee had received tens of thousands of dollars from the DEA over the past several years."
The news station's investigation "also revealed passengers selected for what the government calls 'random, consensual encounters' are actually profiled by the drug agents who search Black men far more often than any other group of passengers," according to the article.
"The reports analyzed data showing that, for drug agents to find just one passenger with money, they have to publicly search 10 departing passengers."
[1] https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/11/21/justice-department-orders-all-consensual-searches-stopped-airports-after-anf-report/
[2] https://oig.justice.gov/reports/notification-concerns-identified-drug-enforcement-administrations-transportation?utm_source=pressrelease&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=report
[3] https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/08/14/new-video-shows-its-nearly-impossible-say-no-dea-searches-airport-gates/
[4] https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/page/in-plane-sight/
[5] https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2024/06/05/wanf-investigates-plane-sight-awarded-celebration-service-america-awards/
Highwaymen aka airport robbery (Score:4, Insightful)
These corrupt agents need to be arrested and charged with robbery. The airport agent should be charged with accessory to robbery and fraud.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Nothing corrupt about it and that's the problem. [1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
It wasn't until recently that cops started being held accountable for actually murdering someone and they've been pissy ever since practicing work stoppages. Want to take bets on if this cop does jail time? [2]https://kansascitydefender.com... [kansascitydefender.com]
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_forfeiture_in_the_United_States
[2] https://kansascitydefender.com/justice/independence-police-kill-mother-infant/
Re: (Score:1)
Still in denial about why the election went the way it did huh. You can keep spreading conspiracy theories about whatever you want, doesn't change reality. Dems made huge cuts to police in a half a dozen large cities. That's why there aren't police when you call them there, not some imagined work stoppage. And that really did spike crime in those places. And shocker, the folks who lived in those neighborhoods, the bluest of the blue neighborhoods for nearly a century, they left you. Wake up, its you.
Re: (Score:2)
> Dems made huge cuts to police in a half a dozen large cities.
Can you provide links to the cities who cut police budgets?
Re: (Score:1)
Not one person mentioned an election or Donald Trump. Why are you so offtopic?
> Dems made huge cuts to police in a half a dozen large cities.
The police are the ones committing crimes in this article. You should thank the Dems for getting rid of them.
> That's why there aren't police when you call them there
They aren't there because they are targeting black men to rob them.
I know you Trumpers are not at all for law and order. You believe that people should get away with murder, robbery, real estate fraud, bribing porn stars, election subversion, and obstruction as long as they are the right people.
Re: Highwaymen aka airport robbery (Score:4, Funny)
It's not the agents, it's the system. DEA is not fit for purpose. In an actual free country, Drugs Alcohol and Firearms would be a convenience store.
Badges? (Score:2)
We don't need no stinkin' badges!
Drugs and Cash (Score:2)
Carried by travelers don't pose any safety threat to an aircraft.
Re: (Score:2)
> Carried by travelers don't pose any safety threat to an aircraft.
I agree with the principle of the article, large volumes of cash carried by travellers is typically a tax evasion issue. Secondarily, people trying to introduce counterfeit currency. Whilst both have rather negative effects on the economy, neither are the purview of the DEA.
Only good cop (Score:1)
Is a dead cop.
Within 48 hours of travel (Score:2)
Never mind that a lot of people have to purchase tickets well within that time frame.
I've had tickets purchased for me while I was packing to go to the airport. Work related, last-minute schedule changes required it.
Then there's that whole "90% failure rate" on the tips from airline employees. If you have a source who's wrong nine times out of ten, they're not a source, they're just making it up so they can get a cut of the graft.
if you plan not to consent, stick with it (Score:1)
Reviewing the video, the passenger didn't consent to search at first (which the DEA respected) but eventually did consent to search after he missed his flight due to them pulling him off the plane. Part of the goon game, aside from being insulting with the intent of provoking a reaction, is they just want to see how long it takes to get someone to waive rights. I've been in similar pressure search situations. It seems, like any negotiation where you don't have a lawyer present, you have to be totally prepar
Nice criminal enterprise you have there (Score:3)
Because except for immoral laws that is essentially what it is.
Reversal of Burden of Proof (Score:2)
DEA should be the one responsible to prove the money IS from drug traffic, not the person holding the money proving it is not, specially in a approach like this where the money is just seized and not given back. In my country if the authorities suspect your bank account movements are from money laundering or something of the sort, your account can be frozen, but there will be an investigation and if nothing wrong is found it will be back to normal, just seizing on the spot is simply stealing.
I bet that if t
Rogue agency by and for culture warriors. (Score:2)
"Conservatives" think removing the strontium-90 from school drinking fountains is a waste of tax money, but want to buy stealth bombers for the DEA in case a brown-skinned teenager is spotted huffing paint.
wait until Trump hears about this! (Score:2)
The problem is not taking the money, it's not giving it to Trump. There's a new sheriff in town, and that 5000 is gonna need to get lowered to 20.
Re: (Score:2)
You know, there have been numerous democratic administrations that could have shut this practice down at the stroke of a pen but they didn't.
Don't be silly, nobody needs $5000 in cash (Score:1)
So they must be criminals. So of course it's fair to seize the money.
Such is the logic of the bureaucratic mind. Just occasionally Trump's hate of federal bureaucrats is revealed to be spot on...
Re:Don't be silly, nobody needs $5000 in cash (Score:5, Insightful)
Civil forfeiture is just wrong. It goes directly against due process. Just who are the criminals?
Re:Don't be silly, nobody needs $5000 in cash (Score:4, Insightful)
The DEA are privateers and this theft constitutes piracy.
Re: Don't be silly, nobody needs $5000 in cash (Score:2)
Technically I think it's the money being accused of the crime.
Equal treatment under the law (Score:2)
the drug agents who search Black men far more often than any other group of passengers
This is not equality and unfairly targeting men, black men in particular, without any probable cause or active criminal investigation is discrimination against black men.
Re: (Score:3)
I can guarantee that at least 95% of the agents engaged in this activity are Trump supporters. You ever met a DEA agent?
Not to mention that Trump's DOJ [1] explicitly greenlit renewed civil asset forfeiture [thestreet.com] during his last rodeo.
[1] https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/civil-forfeiture-trump-resurrects-an-ugly-practice-for-no-reason-14237541
Re: (Score:3)
Airports have been a "no rights zone" ever since 9/11.
Dude this has nothing to do with Bureaucracy (Score:2)
these are cops, not bureaucrats. We turned cops into thugs because we are so freaking terrified all the time we let law enforcement do anything... except police white color crime. Those guys can do whatever the hell they want for the next 4 year so long as they don't pull a Madoff and rip off anyone who matters (hint: that's not you & me, it's open season on our bank accounts).
Nah... (Score:2)
It's bureaucratic thinking that leads these thugs - sorry federal agents - to do this.
Re: (Score:1)
> Such is the logic of the bureaucratic mind. Just occasionally Trump's hate of federal bureaucrats is revealed to be spot on...
You think Trump is not in favour of this? In fact he actively tried to hinder a reform of this. [1]https://www.aclu.org/news/crim... [aclu.org]
[1] https://www.aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/despite-president-trumps-support-legalized-theft
Re: (Score:2)
> So they must be criminals
Spot on. By the same logic, no one needs a gun, a sports car, skis, a private plane, a second home, fewer than two kids, more than two kids, or any number of other things.
If we go the route of "if you can't prove you need it, you can't have it", that's the path to tyranny and kleptocracy.