Posted on 09/04/2024 6:44:30 PM PDT by eastexsteve
VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas (KETK) — Two Chinese nationals were arrested with $250,000 worth of gold bars after a traffic stop on I-20 on Thursday..
Inside [the rental car], officials found a boarding pass from Spirit Airlines that showed Chen had boarded the plane in Los Angeles on July 30 at 5:19 p.m. and arrived in Atlanta on July 31 at 12:53 a.m. The tickets reportedly showed he had no bags with him when he boarded the flight.
On a rental agreement, it reportedly showed that the vehicle was rented in College Park, Georgia at 1:28 a.m. on July 31 and was to be returned by Aug. 3 at11:30 a.m. in Los Angeles.
A bag was located behind the driver’s seat on the floorboard where officials found multiple pieces of gold bullion bars estimated to value between $200,000 and $250,000..
(Excerpt) Read more at ketk.com ...
“Most who are here illegally WERE ALLOWED TO LEAVE and CAME IN ILLEGALLY SO THEY CAN HIDE BECAUSE THEY’RE UP TO NO GOOD.”
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Any convicted felon can fly to Mexico and take a new name. Voting would be an option.
“What if they had been found with bars of lead hidden under the seat? Would they have been arrested for that? If not: Why not?”
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Gold from China could be counterfeit.
Gold-plated tungsten coins are very difficult to determine if counterfeit.
” It wouldn’t surprise me if the CCP has some sort of plan to somehow have it wreck our economy.”
I wouldn’t say wreck, then no one could buy their shoddy, toxic junk. Maybe control our economy for their ends would be more likely.
Coming from China, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn that the bars are actually gold-covered tungsten...
Was it solid gold, or gold-plated tungsten?
Of note, China never reports on the gold that it mines, quantity. They never sell either. Yet they buy a lot off the international market as well. Stacking on steroids...
In principal, no, but keep both Civil Asset Forfeiture, and Qualified Immunity in mind. An ignorant member of federal or local law enforcement can confiscate your property if they’re suspicious of a crime, and you have to pay to get your lawfully owned property back. IF you get it back.
Dear Virtue Signalling Globalist,
WE.DONT.NEED.OR.WANT.ANY.MORE.IMPORTD.PEOPLE.AT.ALL.
China’s gold buying spree - as China’s real estate tanks, gold is the new go-to.
are they sure it’s real gold?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_zuH68dpbI
Ask Bob Menendez! He might know.
They didn't have this gold when CBP shook them down at the border. They came by it somewhere between Georgia and Florida. They were driving back to CA when they got stopped in East Texas. Texas authorities think it was the result of some kind of drug transaction, since a drug dog alerted on the luggage, but no drugs were found. There is more about it from the Van Zant county DA on the internet.
They know they didn't have the gold when they came across the border. They acquired it here. When the cops found the gold in the luggage, the two men denied knowing where it came from.
Where Did These Two Illegal Immigrants Get 100 Ounces Of Gold?
Bigger question what democrat was to receive it?
Two Chinese bag men get called back to China knowing prison camp is out of the question.
Plus the "dog alert" is a joke: the dogs learn that what excites the handler is alerting to anything they can seize, not just drugs, but money, jewelry or just to please the handler. It's just one set of thieves from the gov seizing valuables from another set of criminals.
Does so: Gold from China could be counterfeit. Gold-plated tungsten coins are very difficult to determine if counterfeit.
Your response is factually correct - but entirely irrelevant to my original observation / (rhetorical) question (which you quoted).
Why should merely possessing a certain quantity of one metal warrant an arrest, but possessing the same quantity of another metal (e.g., a base metal) warrant no arrest?
It is not illegal to possess gold. These people weren't even trying to sell the gold (i.e., enter it into circulation).
Consider, if you will, a case involving not gold but a painting "hidden" (or just lying) under a car seat. According to your logic, "the painting could be from China. The painting could be counterfeit. The painting could be stolen Nazi loot. The painting..."
See what I mean?
The police are not allowed to begin harassing people simply because it can't be excluded, in advance, that some possible crime might have been committed or might be in planning.
Regards,
“The police are not allowed to begin harassing people simply because it can’t be excluded, in advance, that some possible crime might have been committed or might be in planning.”
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SOME counterfeit gold can be easily checked for authenticity.
Counterfeiting is within the purview of the US Secret Service.
Impounding that gold-colored “substance” in the presence of supporting circumstance would be good police work. Laboratory examination would lead a detective to a determination of guilt or innocence.
(”You can beat the charge, but you can’t beat the ride”).
But in general, your factually true statements that...
SOME counterfeit gold can be easily checked for authenticity. Counterfeiting is within the purview of the US Secret Service. Impounding that gold-colored “substance” in the presence of supporting circumstance would be good police work. Laboratory examination would lead a detective to a determination of guilt or innocence.
...should not be misconstrued as meaning that the Police are entitled to stop random passersby or motorists just because they might be up to something.
Or would you approve of your wife, carrying what appeared (to a callow, 22-year-old policeman) to be a Louis Vuitton handbag, being stopped on the sidewalk with the justification of, "That might be a counterfeit handbag!"?
"Counterfeiting is within the purview of the US Secret Service."
Yes - But there has to be additional "reasonable cause."
We seem to be arguing at cross-purposes, here. I am well aware of the issue of counterfeit gold ingots with Wolfram cores, I know that there are "tests," etc. - But I'm also aware that there are over-eager cops.
Do you want to be stopped on the street and required to prove (per receipt) that the shoes you are wearing aren't counterfeit, or stolen, or made out of the leather of endangered species? After all, "theft is in the purview of the local police," and "there are tests..."?
Regards,
LEOs have a term, “Mopery-Dopery”.
One can hear radio transmissions using the term.
Anyone with a Louis Vuitton handbag can be assured they’re going to be left alone UNLESS they’re “up to something”. (In the wrong place, behavior, odor, possession of altered serial number, or presence of known felon associate).
There’s a reason suspicious characters are called “suspects”.
They’re given a “Property Receipt” for anything removed as “suspect”. Oftentimes, fearing arrest for even a misdemeanor, they don’t show up to claim it.
It’s sort of like when an officer is suddenly demoted or fired.
Nearly-forgotten offenses pile up!
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