Archives for category: Mysterious federal traffic stops

Welcome Home Troops

 

Several months ago, I found information posted by the DEA Re: heroin and cocaine availability in the US-

DEA-

“Today, traffickers operating from Colombia continue to control wholesale-level cocaine distribution throughout the heavily populated northeastern United States and along the eastern seaboard in cities such as Boston, Miami, Newark, New York, and Philadelphia.”

“Heroin is readily available in many U.S. cities as evidenced by the unprecedented high level of average retail, or street-level, purity. Criminals in four foreign source areas produce the heroin available in the United States: South America (Colombia), Southeast Asia (principally Burma), Mexico, and Southwest Asia/Middle East (principally Afghanistan).”

Looks like this info is no longer available on the DEA website.

 

Interesting that the DEA would post info indicating that they’ve got a big job to do. Over at DHS- the message is more like- we’ve got a handle on it all-

Never forget-

“…one vulnerability or gap anywhere across the globe has the ability to impact security thousands of miles away.”

Looks like some vulnerabilities and gaps are present here:

Law officers seize 26 pounds of cocaine in car stop near Bellingham

Oregon State Police have seized 55 pounds of heroin in a traffic stop on Interstate 5 north of Ashland

 

Meanwhile-

Grand opening of the $9.8 million, 50 agent US Border Patrol station at Port Angeles- access restricted “only to media with credentials and invited guests

This local story has been developing for years now. There has been plenty of time for people with the advantage of a press credential to schedule appointments, do interviews & ask questions. Unfortunately- local reporters are not in the habit of doing so.

 

 

Photo- Wooden Boat weekend at Port Townsend

 

Welcome Home Troops

 

On the national scene-

How are terrorists kept out while heroin comes in?

Why hasn’t the US Department of Homeland Security been able to stop cocaine and heroin from crossing into the US?

 

INVASION OF THE DRUG CARTELS

SOURCES: U.S. NATIONAL DRUG INTELLIGENCE CENTER REPORT 2011, THE U.S. NATIONAL SEIZURE SYSTEM, AND THE JUSTICE IN MEXICO PROJECT

 

The people who move heroin into N. America do so free of screening, scanning, pat downs, special IDs, inspection of personal items, etc.

 

If the federal government has the crime fighting skills to wipe out all major terror strikes since 911- why wouldn’t they use those skills to shut down other categories of violent crimes?

War on terror crime fighting tactics, the surveillance society, fusion centers, drones, license plate scanners, tracking cell phones, reading text messages- none of it appears to work to stop crimes like bank robbery or drug trafficking.

 

Hey VFW, Hey American Legion, Hey Joint Chiefs of Staff- love to get your take on all this.

Hey veterans- what’s going on here?

 

We all must do our part to keep the nation safe-

Video collection- DHS checkpoints

 

Urban Shield SWAT event- Preventing Terrorism Aim Of Operation ‘Urban Shield’

Preventing Terrorism?

More like reacting.

 

It will be easy to spot an attempted strike. Expect the bad guys to be sloppy- the packages they send will look like they were put together by drunken 3rd graders, or Wile E Coyote.

 

On Washington’s Olympic Peninsula-

Border Patrol checkpoints came to Jefferson County, WA in 2008.

We are told the #1 US Border Patrol objective is to stop terrorists.

The US Border Patrol explains this objective at a local public forum- this YouTube video covers Border Patrol objectives at 3:50

At that same forum a lady asked:

“What is the penalty for not identifying oneself to federal agents at an internal, suspicionless checkpoint?”

US Border Patrol said they would call in the Sheriff when a person refused to identify themselves.

Sheriff says they will not respond to a non-emergency situation involving a person peaceably refusing to interact with federal agents.

Question about providing ID is at 0:35

 

Checkpoints ended here in 2008- possibly due to well informed citizens and local protests. Looks like they weren’t vital to national security after all.

War on Terror- credibility squandered.

 

 

Photo- Port Hadlock Transit Center

 

I have been wondering about all this over the past year or so.

Now the story is back in the news.

 

May 2011- The Benjamin Roldan Salinas incident-

…a Forks man who eluded Border Patrol agents after a weekend traffic stop on U.S. Highway 101 east of Sappho.

…a Forks man who eluded Border Patrol agents during a Saturday traffic stop on U.S. Highway 101.

…a traffic stop on U.S. 101 was initiated by a U.S. Forest Service officer who requested translation assistance from the Border Patrol for two people inside a vehicle.

…two individuals that were encountered during a vehicle stop on Highway 101 near milepost 214.

…last seen jumping into the Sol Duc River during a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 101 near the east bridge at Milepost 213.

 

Best case scenario- local (Olympic Peninsula) reporters would have investigated the mysterious practice of federal officers conducting “traffic stops” on US Highway 101.

Why was the vehicle stopped on U.S. 101 by a U.S. Forest Service officer?

How did the officer first know about the salal?

Did they have a permit?

How much salal was in the vehicle?

Was it legal?

Anything related to a police report as to why and where the vehicle was stopped?

What became of the salal- if there was any at the scene?

 

Local papers have no problem working with local law enforcement agencies to publish detailed arrest reports– why are federal arrests any different?

Local paper able to coordinate with foreign authorities Re: mishap at sea in Mexican waters– yet details of arrests taking place in Clallam County go unreported.

 

Many locals seem to support federal police state tactics- away from border crossings and ports of entry- if there’s a chance that an illegal alien can be captured.

 

Old news at Oak Bay Starfish:

Nov 2011- “A request for assistance during a traffic stop being conducted by an Olympic National Park ranger in a remote area of U.S. Highway 101 southwest of Forks resulted in the arrest of a Mexican national illegally in the U.S.

Looks like federal agents are now doing traffic stops on U.S. Highway 101?

When folks head out to cut their Christmas tree in the National Forest- do they get stopped by federal officers on U.S. Highway 101 for a quick check & inspection to validate permits, vehicle contents & cargo?

 

More about mysterious federal traffic stops on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula here.

Local reporters never ask why the vehicle was stopped.

 

Discuss on facebook

Olympic Peninsula Border Patrol timeline here.

 

 

Photo- Port Hadlock Transit Center

 

 

We are told the #1 US Border Patrol objective is to stop terrorists. The US Border Patrol explains this objective at a local public forum- this YouTube video covers Border Patrol objectives at 3:50.

 

2008- Jefferson County– Checkpoints begin– then end- after local complaints and protests.

State and local LE agencies do not conduct DUI/suspicionless checkpoints in Washington State.

 

US Border Patrol now doing traffic enforcement work on the Olympic Peninsula?

No terrorists in sight– so there’s plenty of time to go after US citizens seen driving while Black or Brown.

Suspicionless federal traffic stops- away from border crossings and ports of entry – have been going on for months now.

 

Suspicionless checkpoints ended on the Olympic Peninsula in 2008. Suspicionless bus boardings ended in November, 2011– yet USBP staffing has grown to 42 agents at Port Angeles:

The number of Border Patrol agents operating out of the Port Angeles station grew from 36 in mid-September to 42 as of Friday, said George Behan, a spokesman for U.S. Rep Norm Dicks, whose 6th Congressional District includes Clallam and Jefferson counties.

 

Back in 2008, at a local US Border Patrol forum, a lady asked:

“What is the penalty for not identifying oneself to federal agents at an internal, suspicionless checkpoint?”

The US Border Patrol said they would call in the Sheriff when a person refused to identify themselves.

Sheriff says they would not respond to a non-emergency situation involving a person peaceably refusing to interact with federal agents.

Question about providing ID is at 0:35

Checkpoints ended here in 2008- possibly due to well informed citizens and local protests. Looks like they weren’t vital to national security after all.

War on Terror- credibility squandered.

 

We’re just weeks away from the grand opening of a new, $5.7 million 50 Agent US Border Patrol station at Port Angeles- an area sharing no land border with Canada.

Still no justification provided by elected officials or the US Border Patrol for an upgrade in staff requiring the 50 agent facility- due to open in the spring of 2012.

Besides sharing no land border with Canada- the Olympic Peninsula is not served by the interstate highway system. The nearest interstate is more than 2 hours away.

Alternate route- Interstate 5 – still more than 2 hours away.

If smugglers & drug traffickers were in a hurry to get to an interstate- the Olympic Peninsula wouldn’t be the place to show up. Maybe this is another reason why we have seen just 2 arrests involving cross-border traffic here & why a report concerning fraudulent overtime went public last year.

 

Elsewhere in the US, federal checkpoints continue:

 

 

Yellowstone Vehicle Safety Checkpoints

 

State & local checkpoints-

Post details: Remaining Silent At A Sobriety Checkpoint