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.'"
I hope the sue and win 100 billion and a kiss on the ass from GWB.
I suspect you're right. I still find that mindset and the paramilitary trend in police organizations somewhat menacing.
I personally detest druggies and dealers. My own family has been ravaged by drug use so I have no use for it. That said, I think that the WOD has been a disaster. We've only succeeded in making the scummiest lowlifes in our country rich and glamourous (for the second time in our history), and causing a lot of corruption in government and law enforcement. Now we have cops who remind me of what I saw when I stood on scaffolds and peered over the Berlin Wall back in the early 80's.
I may not have much use for some local potheads, but I fear them considerably less than I so some ski-masked human rottweilers with MP-5's in their hands and American flags velcroed to their shoulders. I say this as a relatively dull person, who hasn't had much interaction with law enforcement since his teenage hot-rodding days about a century and a half ago.
That requires them to actualy use their brain and think.
It’s never going to happen as long as they keep getting away witout being held accountable.
Hope the homeowner sue and get millions and millions of dollars.
And that not a single dollar of it comes from the taxpayers. Taxpayers paying for out-of-control government (in more than the usual way) is unacceptable. The people who were screwed WERE taxpayers. It's like paying a judgement to yourself.
There, all fixed.
The feds have confiscated private aircraft even when there is no proof they have ever been used in any illegal drug activity.
This crap is going to continue until cops, and police commanders, DAs and judges who initiate/approve these home invasions are held personally responsible for their actions — which too often include breaking/entering, assault, animal cruelty and sometimes murder.
I hope one of the wrong-house raids is video taped by the homeowner and put up on youtube for everyone to see what it is like.
Maybe...just maybe, the outcry will force some change.
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