DEA to traveler: Thanks, I’ll take that cash

The Albuquerque Journal ^ | May 6, 2015 | Joline Gutierrez Krueger

[CedarDave]

Maybe he should have taken traveler’s checks.

But it’s too late for that now. All the money – $16,000 in cash – that Joseph Rivers said he had saved and relatives had given him to launch his dream in Hollywood is gone, seized during his trip out West not by thieves but by Drug Enforcement Administration agents during a stop at the Amtrak train station in Albuquerque.

An incident some might argue is still theft, just with the government’s blessing.

Rivers, 22, wasn’t detained and has not been charged with any crime since his money was taken last month.

That doesn’t matter. Under a federal law enforcement tool called civil asset forfeiture, he need never be arrested or convicted of a crime for the government to take away his cash, cars or property – and keep it.

Agencies like the DEA can confiscate money or property if they have a hunch, a suspicion, a notion that maybe, possibly, perhaps the items are connected with narcotics. Or something else illegal.

Or maybe the fact that the person holding a bunch of cash is a young black man is good enough.

Rivers said he carried his savings in cash because he has had problems in the past with taking out large sums of money from out-of-state banks.

A DEA agent boarded the train at the Albuquerque Amtrak station and began asking various passengers ... where they were going and why. When Rivers replied that he was headed to LA to make a music video, the agent asked to search his bags. Rivers complied.

Rivers was the only passenger singled out for a search by DEA agents – and the only black person on his portion of the train, Pancer said.

[CedarDave]

Rivers was coming from Dearborn, Mich. to LA make a music video. The money came from savings and relatives he said.

This really doesn't pass the smell test, but unless he and his family were totally naive, they would know both that carrying large amounts of cash cross country by train or bus is a method commonly used by drug dealers to launder the money, and never agree to a search without a warrant. And what sort of dealings did he previously have with banks that involved taking out large sums of money? The article doesn't say.

This type of civil assert forfeiture will be illegal in New Mexico beginning July 1. A bill passed the legislature in March that prohibits seizures before conviction of a crime, and money and funds from sale of property so seized is deposited into the state's general fund and not into the coffers of the local and state agencies who seized it. Unfortunately the law does not apply to the Feds who use it all the time in drug and other stings that may involve money laundering. See this thread for details and comments on the NM law:

BREAKING: New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez Abolishes Civil Asset Forfeiture

[Timber Rattler]

A DEA agent boarded the train at the Albuquerque Amtrak station and began asking various passengers ... where they were going and why.

That's none of your damned business, G-Man!

[piytar]

“Rivers complied.”

DON’T! EVER!

[Moonman62]

When Rivers replied that he was headed to LA to make a music video, the agent asked to search his bags. Rivers complied.

...

If you’re law abiding, don’t ever do that. If you’re a criminal I don’t care.

[CedarDave]

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[Veggie Todd]

...seized during his trip out West not by thieves but by Drug Enforcement Administration agents...

Potato, potahto.

[faithhopecharity]

Obama is transforming America into just another corrupt tinpot krapistan dictatorship

[faithhopecharity]

Obama is transforming America into just another corrupt tinpot krapistan dictatorship

[varyouga]

Didn’t you hear? Refusing a search is now considered probable cause for a search

But it defacto has always been that way...

[Ken H]

This started long before Obama.

[I want the USA back]

Creeping fascism. And it started before Obama.

[buckalfa]

9/11 fundamentally transformed America into a police state. Bush codified it with the Patriot Act. Obama and the G-Men are now abusing the power. But we are safe! Right?

[Talisker]

Didn’t you hear? Refusing a search is now considered probable cause for a search

Big, BIG difference in fighting the charge later, though.

[tbw2]

The Institute for Justice is fighting this across the board. There were police in Texas targeting cars from out of state for search, in one case threatening a couple with kids to be arrested on suspicion of carrying drug money (to explain the cash they had) and calling Child Protective Services to take the kids.
Of course the parents gave up the money to keep the kids.

And the police intentionally sought out of state drivers because those people were much less likely to have the resources to come back to challenge a court hearing.

[faithhopecharity]

Some Americans remain imbued with their constitutional rights and expect to live out their lives in liberty. No “abc” or “xyz” agent who tries to rob these American citizens will ever enjoy their cooperation in having their money or possessions ripped off from them. Ps: if Tou want to live in a place where the govt agents rob you in broad daylight, try visiting Mexico or almost any krapistan or African tinpot dictatorship. If you want to live free from such thuggery and terror, stay here and deal with any attacks on your person , property, liberty, or rights in appropriate ways

[Pollster1]

Two old rules that neither the big government democrats nor the big government republicans care about:

Exodus 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.

Fourth Amendment: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

[ClearCase_guy]

“I see you have some money; hand it over.” — Government

[Timber Rattler]

The “War on Drugs” actually started with Nixon.

[grumpygresh]

Didn’t matter in this case. If he refused, the DEA would have confiscated his bag and get a search warrant from some flunkey accomplice Nazi Fed judge.
We are in a police state. Cash is being criminalized. I think we really need to start to employ covert medium of exchanges as a way to survive and resist.

[CedarDave]

Another DEA horror story:

DEA agents left college student in cell for five days, receive light punishments