The Drugs-Terror Nexus

DRCNet's Drug War Chronicle notes that federal prosecutors in Seattle are using the PATRIOT Act against a marijuana operation, charging 15 people with "bulk-cash smuggling" for taking money from pot sales back to British Columbia. In case you're wondering, "the Canadians and Americans under arrest were not sending their proceeds to Al Qaeda."

Comments

[rst]

Interesting that after all the assurances of what this bill was and was not going to be used for, have they even used it for a terrorist yet? They've gone after the mob in vegas and drug runners in Seattle. I get the sneaking suspicion that something else is going to get blown up and those frightened old men are going to jump in line to sign Patriot II. Hell Kerry might even show up for the vote on it.

What is most embarrassing of all is that this bill was not created and then passed in response to 9/11. The law enforcement industry's desire to pass it had long been stymied (for the most part) by Congress as unconstitutional. But apparently when you blow up some buildings, the definition of the word unconstitutional changes.

*sigh* we get the government we deserve, or at least, lack the will to destroy.

[c]

Why would Kerry be called upon to vote for or against a bill in congress?

[Rick Barton]

Umm...because he's in the Senate.

[kevrob]

If only my Senators wouldn't show up to vote!

Kevin

[kevrob]

Mark wrote:

If some of those tools can also be used to help catch drug dealers, so be it. It seems perfectly reasonable to me.

Who wants to catch drug dealers? Not me. You are also missing the point that a tool that was supposed to be used against our enemies from abroad, and any of their cohorts living here, is instead being trained on ordinary, homegrown "criminals." That's just legislative bait-and-switch. There are already too many unconstitutional "laws" at the disposal of the police, from TEFRA to RICO to who knows what else.

Kevin

[SteveInClearwater]

Why bother trying to 'catch' drug dealers at all?

It would be so much easier to legalize all drugs, allowing easy and non-violent regulation.

Funny how it takes an entire task force of officers from multiple agencies combining work efforts for months on end just to have one giant raid on a couple dozen illegal dealers. The officers involved must utilize military weaponry, armor and clothing when carrying out their mission.

Meanwhile, a couple of agents in normal business suits can roll into any legal drug dealer in town and verify all regulations are being observed with a simple, short interview and audit.

No reason to adopt 'fake' disguises and undercover IDs. No reason to threaten anyone with violent physical force. No threat to the officers themselves. No need to circumvent the Constitution or create bogus Acts by Congress.

[Mark P Neyer]

To me, it seems stupid to expect that law enforcement be allowed to engage in some activity if they are pursuing terrorists, but not if they're pursuing run-of-the-mill dope farmers. The purpose of the USA PATRIOT act was to provide law enforcement with necessary tools to gather data and level charges, in order to prevent another September 11th from happening. If some of those tools can also be used to help catch drug dealers, so be it. It seems perfectly reasonable to me.

[James Anderson Merritt]

"America gets the government it lacks the will to destroy."

I like it, RST. Thanks for one of the most memorable quotes I've read in the post-9/11 era.

Mark said, "If some of those tools can also be used to help catch drug dealers, so be it. It seems perfectly reasonable to me."

But Mark, those tools were allegedly intended to go after dangerous, violent, ruthless people who were said to be at war with our civilization. Do you not distinguish between war and everyday law enforcement? Do you not distinguish between mere lawbreakers -- who may do nothing more than sell a plant, or lie to government investigators -- and those who are determined to violently harm as many as it takes to achieve their goals?

If you don't so distinguish, then you demonstrate the danger of giving the government the tools in the first place, because it is likely that you are not alone, and that your philosophical brothers will get their hands on the tools, if not now, eventually.

[anonymusrex]

War on Terror, people. All is fair in love and war. War in perpetuity is good in the short run, but will eventually grate of enough people's nerves, that they will begin to question it. Do you people really think that without the Patriot Act, this drug deal would have gone down any differently?

[Malak]

This is going to sound stupid (what else is new), but how do they define "cash-smuggling"?

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