Posted on 05/03/2008 12:26:13 PM PDT by nin_kasi
OPA-LOCKA, Fla. -- Federal agents on the hunt for criminals on Thursday raided the wrong house while searching for drugs.
Police and federal agents raided 50 marijuana grow houses around Florida on Thursday, calling it "Operation D-Day."
They seized $7 million worth of pot plants, but they also kicked in the door of Noel Llorente's Opa-locka home and found nothing but bewildered homeowners.
"I was frightened for my husband because they threw him on the ground," Llorente's wife said. "I was scared.
Llorente said he was just leaving for work when unmarked cars pulled up, Drug Enforcement Administration agents jumped out, threw him down with guns drawn, handcuffed him, stormed into his home and searched for drugs.
"I asked them why they came to my house, they said a neighbor or somebody called and said I had a hydroponics lab in my house," Llorente said. "Then I asked them if a marijuana plant could grow inside my underwear drawer."
The Llorentes said they don't speak much English – they're immigrants from Cuba. They said one of the reasons they came to the U.S. was to escape oppression from the Cuban police.
Isabel Llorente said she never thought this could happen here.
"Never, because they criticize Cuba so much," she said. "I've never gone through anything like this."
She said what made it especially traumatic was not knowing if the agents were really police or imposters. She said she tried to call 911, but they wouldn't let her.
"What added salt to this injury was after the situation – house is searched, door is broken – they just walked away," the Llorentes' lawyer said. "Like, 'We're the government. We made a mistake.'"
The homeowner said he received only a minimal apology from police and federal agents.
"When I asked them about the door, they said, 'Sorry," Noel Llorente said. "When I asked them about my reputation, they said, 'Sorry.'"
Should focus their resources on meth. Much more harmful.
Wait for the JBT lovers to show up here and defend this sort of activity.
Somewhere in their city, there is a lawyer who is salivating upon hearing those words. Hope they hire one who's a real pit bull.
“What added salt to this injury was after the situation – house is searched, door is broken – they just walked away,” the Llorentes’ lawyer said. “Like, ‘We’re the government. We made a mistake.’”
Imagine Health Care from the same crowd. “We’re the Government, We made a mistake, And beside, you have 2 kidneys anyway.”
The constitution is not applicable to the War On Some Drugs.
Or so it seems.
..............or the Declaration of Independence or any other concept of human rights that I know of.
So do I. As someone who generally supports and admires law enforcement, there seems to be much too casual attitudes about this stuff lately. I believe that we may have a case of the cure being worse than the disease situation.
This kind of crap is happening far to often.
Gee, I hate my neighbor billy bib, think i’ll drop a dime on him and make up a story about a grow house at his house.
Send in the storm troopers.
“Wait for the JBT lovers to show up here and defend this sort of activity.”
I don’t think they’ll show their faces on this thread...
Oh, wait a minute...
“As someone who generally supports and admires law enforcement, there seems to be much too casual attitudes about this stuff lately. I believe that we may have a case of the cure being worse than the disease situation.”
DING DING DING DING! WE HAVE A WINNER!!!
PS Have same attitude as you — or at least used to. Having a hard time supporting law enforcement the way I used to given stories such as these, lying cops I’ve encountered (not w/r/t me personally so far, thank God), and these JBT stories.
Under ACHIEVEMENTS:
Former DEA Agent conducted wrong house raid.
I guess I am a bit behind the curve... JBT?
Should focus their resources on staying the he** out of private residences. Should repeal the laws the give revenues to agencies because some pot or other "illegal" substance is found regardless of how it got there. Should cancel the war on drugs which deprives us all of many of our freedoms. Legalize drugs and forget the stupid war on drugs, repeal the onerous laws that allow such perversions of the constitution to exist in this country.
The police handled their mistake very badly, if what she said is true. It’s a blessing, I guess, that they were not gun advocates and had tried to protect themselves from this, they would have suffered the same fate as the 92 year old woman in Atlanta.
The parallel being drawn between Cuba and this situation is not applicable. The difference is here, it is a mistake and a price will be paid for that, but there, in Cuba, it’s SOP and no one is safe from that kind of terror.
I have LEO friends and I’m told they would have given her a business card and asked her to call their Commander to start the redress process if they had made a mistake.
Well, that sure makes "Truth, Justice and the American Way" look just peachy, doesn’t it?
Never mind, I caught up on my own. Whew!
Good thing they didn’t have a dog, it would have been toast.
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