US Troops at the border, strict post 911 security protocols and a $40.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security not yet able to shut down Eastern Tennessee meth supply:
“Unlike opioids, meth is relatively inexpensive and the flow of the highly addictive stimulant from Mexico through distribution hubs like Atlanta continues almost unchecked.”
With such an impressive handle on US Dept. of Homeland Security performance- why do heroin-trafficking cartels continue to move product into local communities?
Each year, at the Super Bowl, the US Dept. of Homeland Security promotes their own image Re: preventing criminal activity. Why do these impressive capabilities fail to keep meth and heroin trafficking cartels from moving product into the US?
“A New Hampshire judge ruled in May that the checkpoints violated the state and federal constitutions. He suppressed evidence against more than a dozen people who were charged with drug possession after being stopped and searched by agents of Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol, in 2017.”
Puget Sound Area History
In 2008, the US Border Patrol came to Jefferson County, WA and set up suspicionless checkpoints and bus boardings- away from border crossings and ports of entry.
At a local Border Patrol 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
State and local law enforcement agencies do not conduct suspicionless checkpoints in Washington State.
“Attention subscribers — Welcome to our new and improved website!
For the next week, PTLeader.com will be freely available to all readers. No login is required during this time.”
The local paper has upgraded their web format. Several stories from their news archives are no longer viewable. Might be a good time for some updated reporting.
Checkpoints on the Olympic Peninsula ended after the public forum shown in the video above. Is there any other community in the US that objected to checkpoints and was able to shut them down?
The open attitude about sports reporting does not cross over to stories about the US Dept. of Homeland Security, big drug busts, The Troops, the War on Terror or local water quality.
The strip club is another of many examples where freedoms may come & go- completely unrelated to military operations/US Troops in distant lands, jet noise over Coupeville or the Sound of Freedom.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our physical security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
Sorry- no time for newspeople to ask what sort of drugs led to the drug house earning its reputation.
Why does it matter?
Some “drugs” are domestic, such as marijuana.
Some drugs, like heroin or cocaine, and now meth, must get past strict post 911/War on Terror security protocols, a $40.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security, and verification of passports/enhanced & Real IDs before they arrive in local communities.
The Drug War is based on public policy.
What methods are working? What methods are failing?
Wonder what was happening at border crossing inspections during the 12 months these folks were under investigation. Do the good guys who made the local bust notify the good guys at the border about the weak links in their process?
Has Port Angeles CBP been able to intercept any inbound meth or heroin? Even one time?
When additional restrictions are placed on prescription drugs- what will prevent heroin-trafficking cartels from moving more product into local communities?
If the US Dept. of Homeland Security was a College Football or NFL team, we’d have all the stats all the time. Is there some sort of Hometown Pride that gets in the way of newspeople asking questions in these areas?
Has Port Angeles CBP been able to intercept any inbound heroin? Even one time?
Newspeople remain silent.
Has anyone ever seen the press question the Port Angeles Border Patrol/CBP on their role in keeping heroin out of the Puget Sound area?
The open attitude about sports reporting does not cross over to stories about the US Dept. of Homeland Security, big drug busts, The Troops, the War on Terror or local water quality.
If the fusion center good guys can tell what the bad guys will do before they do it- surely, these powerful crime fighting tools will be used to shut down gang and cartel activity, heroin trafficking, bank robberies, mass casualty shootings, etc.
“Last year, signs went up closing the waters around Penn Cove to any shellfish harvesting because testing revealed high levels of paralytic shellfish poison. The biotoxin can potentially lead to fatal paralytic shellfish poisoning in humans if consumed.”
“It was a risky play made by a desperate team that is well aware of its run-scoring issues over the past month and the current fight for a postseason spot that felt like an inevitability in June.”
Ever see a pro football coach or quarterback refer reporters to his press secretary for answers? Presidents do so on a daily basis. Professionals are hired to provide only the desired version of answers to questions.
Ever see a pro football coach or quarterback refer reporters to a public information officer for answers to questions?
The open attitude about sports reporting does not cross over to stories about the US Dept. of Homeland Security, big drug busts, The Troops, the War on Terror or local water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls.
The story is always reported as a big success. Zero questions asked about why cartels are somehow able to move product past National Guard Troops, strict post 911 security protocols and federal agents manning a $40.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security- before the drugs end up in Hometown, USA.
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs personnel during Operation Macho Swagger– a ride-along to let us know what is being done to keep the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca safe from B.C. incursions.
Has Port Angeles CBP been able to intercept any inbound meth or heroin? Even one time?
Newspeople, reporters and journalists are free to ask basic public policy questions and post updated reports at any time.
Has anyone ever seen the press question the Port Angeles Border Patrol/CBP on their role in keeping heroin out of the Puget Sound area?
US Border Patrol, Port Angeles, WA
Secret arrest statistics, denied FOIA requests, heroin in the community, no cross-border USBP arrest in more than 8 years, and zero questions from the press.
Are fraudulent overtime claims still the norm at Port Angeles?
Each year, at the Super Bowl, the US Dept. of Homeland Security promotes their own image Re: preventing criminal activity. Why do these impressive capabilities fail to keep meth and heroin trafficking cartels from moving product into the US?
The Troops
Local paper in a military town-
About two years ago, hometown pride was running high when they posted:
“Last year, signs went up closing the waters around Penn Cove to any shellfish harvesting because testing revealed high levels of paralytic shellfish poison. The biotoxin can potentially lead to fatal paralytic shellfish poisoning in humans if consumed.”
Sounds like the sewage treatment plant is sending unsafe product into Penn Cove?
Several Island County beaches are closed for recreational shellfish harvest because of sewage treatment outfall.
This appears to be a routine/ongoing situation.
View the Washington State Department of Health beach list here.
JFK speaks about the role of the press in a free society:
Sports has tended to be a more honest part of American culture. Lately, well known players are involved in a marketing campaign featuring Salute to Service TV ads to fix the glorification of military service messages in our minds.
Undeclared/unwon wars that never end?
0:24
The purpose is to protect our freedoms:
Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Old Man Blog
In City of Indianapolis v. Edmond, the Court said that city’s police violated the Fourth Amendment when they set up checkpoints aimed at catching drug traffickers. “We have never approved a checkpoint program whose primary purpose was to detect evidence of ordinary criminal wrongdoing,” the Court said. “Because the primary purpose of the Indianapolis narcotics checkpoint program is to uncover evidence of ordinary criminal wrongdoing, the program contravenes the Fourth Amendment.”
“Dykens said the opioid epidemic has been a motivating factor in wanting to do these searches, as it’s a nationwide issue that has reached Alaska. This search, he said, is one of the ways to see how much the ferry system is used to traffic these drugs.”
“These kinds of searches happen from time to time, and Dykens said they keep the timing of them as random as they can.”
Washington State-
State and local law enforcement agencies do not conduct suspicionless checkpoints in Washington State. Check other states here:
“Washington State Patrol teams, or teams of officers, may be walking among vehicles in the holding lanes for the purpose of ensuring illegal explosive materials are not taken aboard. These teams may be accompanied by explosive-detection canines. The dogs are trained to detect explosive materials only.”
Lawyers.com:
“First Things First: What’s the Reason for the Stop?”
“Dog or no dog, police must have a legitimate reason for pulling you over. In other words, police need to have reasonable suspicion that the driver—or someone else in the car—has violated the law. A minor traffic violation such as speeding or running a red light will normally suffice. Traffic stops without valid justification, however, are illegal. Typically, all evidence police find following an illegal detention will be inadmissible in court—including drugs discovered by a drug-sniffing dog. (Learn more about how the “exclusionary rule” applies to illegal police searches.)”
Nolo: Can the Police Use a Dog to Sniff a Car for Drugs Without a Warrant?
Heroin crisis: A situation involving illegal product moved from outside the US into local communities. The US Dept. of Homeland Security has jurisdiction at the border, border crossings & ports of entry.
With a budget of $40.6 billion- how is the US Dept. of Homeland Security doing at keeping heroin away from local communities?
Opioid crisis: Term favored by the press & politicians to describe the abuse of product which may be stolen from Grandma’s medicine cabinet- also a very serious issue.
Accurate reporting allows people to learn how to prevent future incidents.
Anytime there is a plane crash- a thorough investigation takes place. Lessons learned are used to prevent future accidents.
Was the aircraft fueled with opioids before it crashed? Was it running on heroin?
Recovery, rehab, treatment, & addiction are important parts of this story.
What part of the story is missing?
Has anyone ever seen the press question the US Dept. of Homeland Security/CBP on their role in keeping heroin away from the Puget Sound area?
The basics:
Strict post 911/War on Terror security protocols, a $40.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security, and verification of passports/enhanced & Real IDs- are unable to keep heroin out of local communities.
Prescription drugs may become more restricted, but cartels will ship more product.
Meth is a good example here. It used to me made with ingredients people could obtain locally. Those ingredients became restricted- now cartels move meth in from Mexico:
“A July 2015, intelligence report released by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency showed the connection of Mexican Drug Cartels in each U.S. state. The report linked the Sinaloa Cartel, Cartel Jalisico Nueva Generacion-Los Cuinis and the Beltran-Leyva Organization with drug trafficking ties in Mobile and Baldwin Counties.”
“Police said the Mexican drug cartel is bringing in a purer form of meth which is why officers said people in Springfield are making less meth at home.”
Welcome Home Troops
We’d like to see more from newspeople who are up to asking questions. Get away from posting the press release handed down from whatever agency was involved in the latest big bust.
More than 52 kilograms of cocaine and 45 kilograms of heroin:
Federal agents swing into action after more than 52 kilograms of cocaine and 45 kilograms of heroin move past federal agents manning a $40.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security- then on into Chicago and western suburbs.
Questions that go unasked:
When additional restrictions are placed on prescription drugs- what will prevent heroin-trafficking cartels from moving more product into local communities?
If drug dogs are effective at the border- how are large quantities of heroin, cocaine & meth moved into US communities?
Have these highly successful drug operations created any shortage of heroin, cocaine or meth anywhere in the US?
Why are local law enforcement agencies rewarded when the US Dept. of Homeland Security fails to keep heroin out of the US?
“Funding for the boat was issued through the Homeland Security Grant Program under Operation Stonegarden.”
If public meetings were held on Whidbey Island & people were asked to state their top law enforcement priorities- would a Homeland Security-funded patrol boat show up anywhere on the list?
If the Sheriff was interviewed & asked for his wish list- is there any possibility that it would include a Homeland Security-funded patrol boat?
Took a quick look on the web to see if there is a post 911 history of maritime “cross-border activity” on Whidbey & could not find anything. If anyone has info, please post in comments.
Recommendation-
Let the Sheriff & the people he serves set funding priorities for the Island County Sheriff’s Department.
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been able to intercept any inbound heroin?
Has the Island County Homeland Security-funded patrol boat been involved in any arrest or seizure related in any way to the US/Canada border?
US Troops at the border, strict post 911 security protocols and a $40.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security not yet able to shut down Eastern Tennessee meth supply:
