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I think it is telling how Fish & Wildlife Agents, investigating possible paperwork mistakes related to shipments of orchids show up in SWAT gear.

It helps highlight the overblown sense of importance that these agents have - the need to show up and instil shear terror by those being charged with infractions!

I can understand SWAT gear when police are trying to protect the general public against an armed and dangerous criminal ....but I can hardly see ANY justification for anything more aggressive than a single agent, unarmed, knocking on the door of these “perps” and politely inquiring about various potential improper activites. Anything more serious should result in firing of all agents on excessive use of force!!!

well that's the thing. for every one of these bonehead plays, there are thousands of agents who simply show up and knock on a door for minor things such as this. they just don't write articles about those interactions.

someone made a bad call or there was some sort of red flag that perked someone's ears as to why they used the SWAT team.

and for this guy to ultimately have gone to jail tells me that he might have done something really wrong. there are just too many checks and balances in the system between prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers, appeals, plea bargains, etc...

i would like to hear the gov'ts argument.

RE Vineyard: “..I can hardly see ANY justification for anything more aggressive than a single agent, unarmed, knocking on the door...”

For the exact same reason that “Officer Friendly” in Germany (local cops) showed up with a few heavily armed Sicherheitsdienst (Internal Security Forces) or Einsaztgruppen (”Special Purpose Groups”) when they went door to door looking for Jews or folks who didn’t turn in their firearms - to instill absolute fear, shock, intimidation, coerce IMMEDIATE COMPLIANCE, make an example for the sheeple, and let EVERYONE know “We’re in charge here”.

Damn this crap p*sses me off...

RE Vineyard: “...Anything more serious should result in firing of all agents on excessive use of force!!!”

Yeah, good luck with that. How many Feds do YOU know that ever got dismissed and did jail time? One of them is STILL in hiding for shooting an unarmed, nursing woman in the face - murdering her while she was holding her baby...Ruby Ridge ring a bell?

They don’t care. They mean to be masters, one way or the other.