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USA Today reports that Drug Enforcement Administration agents regularly mine Americans' travel information in order to seize hundreds of millions of dollars of cash:
Federal drug agents regularly mine Americans' travel information to profile people who might be ferrying money for narcotics traffickers — though they almost never use what they learn to make arrests or build criminal cases.
[...] It is a lucrative endeavor, and one that remains largely unknown outside the drug agency. DEA units assigned to patrol 15 of the nation's busiest airports seized more than $209 million in cash from at least 5,200 people over the past decade after concluding the money was linked to drug trafficking, according to Justice Department records. Most of the money was passed on to local police departments that lend officers to assist the drug agency.
"They count on this as part of the budget," said Louis Weiss, a former supervisor of the DEA group assigned to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. "Basically, you've got to feed the monster." In most cases, records show the agents gave the suspected couriers a receipt for the cash — sometimes totaling $50,000 or more, stuffed into suitcases or socks — and sent them on their way without ever charging them with a crime.
[...] USA Today identified 87 cases in recent years in which the Justice Department went to federal court to seize cash from travelers after agents said they had been tipped off to a suspicious itinerary. Those cases likely represent only a small fraction of the instances in which agents have stopped travelers or seized cash based on their travel patterns, because few such encounters ever make it to court. Those cases nonetheless offer evidence of the program's sweep. Filings show agents were able to profile passengers on Amtrak and nearly every major U.S. airline, often without the companies' consent. "We won't release that information without a subpoena," American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein said.
[...] Agents seized $25,000 from Christelle Tillerson's suitcase in 2014 as she was waiting to board a flight from Detroit to Chicago. [...] Tillerson told the agents that her boyfriend had withdrawn the money from his U.S. Postal Service retirement account so that she could buy a truck, according to court records. Agents were suspicious; Tillerson was an ex-convict, who had spent time in prison for driving a load of marijuana into the United States from Mexico. She seemed to have little money of her own. And a police dog smelled drugs on the cash.
Agents seized the money, and let Tillerson go. Her lawyer, Cyril Hall, said she was never arrested, or even questioned about whether she could give agents information about traffickers. A year and a half later — after she produced paperwork showing that much of the money had indeed come from her boyfriend's retirement fund — the Justice Department agreed to return the money, minus $4,000. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Detroit, Gina Balaya, said prosecutors concluded that "a small percentage of the funds should be forfeited."
(Score: 5, Insightful) by sjames on Thursday August 11 2016, @11:20PM
I can't agree with that. Innocent until proven guilty isn't just a good idea. There are plenty of people who do carry decent sums of cash when travelling and for good reason. Do we really want law enforcement to become indistinguishable from the highwaymen of old? They're worse actually, if you managed to kill or drive off the highwaymen, that was the end of it. Shooting the cops is unlikely to go well even when they're asking for it.
If they were really interested in cutting off fraud money, they would prosecute banks that help the cartels launder money. If they were just interested in stealing a bunch of money to fund their own expensive habits, they'd do exactly what they're doing now.
(Score: 0, Troll) by Ethanol-fueled on Thursday August 11 2016, @11:50PM
When traveling 200 miles? What "good reasons" in America are there for that? Please, elaborate.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Thursday August 11 2016, @11:55PM
Going to a police auction, for example. Moving. Buying business equipment.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday August 11 2016, @11:59PM
Buying real estate.
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday August 12 2016, @12:04AM
Clinton Foundation / China, please go home.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 12 2016, @12:02AM
When is being pro-fascist a good idea? Why let people cross stat borders without showing papers? They could be illegals let in by the lazy state next door! Why let poor people vote, they obviously couldn't afford a good education and don't understand the issues. Why let trolls exist on SN, not like they have much to offer...
Just because something could be done for "bad" purposes doesn't mean it should always be treated that way by default.
(Score: 2, Informative) by lgw on Friday August 12 2016, @01:42AM
1 - why does it matter? Prove guilt.
2 - 200 miles? That's not even the nearest city in Texas. Bringing a "decent sum" to a relative to make/repay a loan happens a lot.
(Score: 2) by Spamalope on Friday August 12 2016, @01:45AM
Buying a pinball machine. I used to restore and trade them. It's a cash an carry hobby, and just driving in state for the right game can be a 500 mile trip each way easily. (Texas is big...)
(Score: 2) by archfeld on Friday August 12 2016, @05:43PM
Personal choice. Why would I utilize a bank that is paying .025% interest and charging a monthly fee that far exceeds what interest I could make? I keep enough money in the bank for emergency purposes that might require the use of a credit/debit solution, but otherwise I am a cash/barter only person.
For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday August 12 2016, @09:44PM
According to the stupid TV shows: to pay the tip at the end of your luxury vacation.
But maybe the DEA doesn't stop people going to the drug-infested Caribbean if they fly first class or private charter.
(Score: 1) by toddestan on Friday August 12 2016, @10:52PM
Buying a used truck from a private party?