Federal Government to Focus on Drug Prosecutions Through DOJ and DEA
Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Acting Administrator for the DEA, Robert Murphy, recently held a press conference highlighting the federal government’s work on drug enforcement in the new year, with the DEA seizing “approximately 44 million fentanyl pills, 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, nearly 65,000 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 201,500 pounds of cocaine, and made over 2,105 fentanyl-related arrests” since the new administration was put in place. “DEA is hitting the cartels where it hurts—with arrests, with seizures, and with relentless pressure. From meth labs in California to fentanyl pills disguised as pharmaceuticals seized at our border, these operations are saving American lives every single day,” said DEA Acting Administrator Robert Murphy. “We are not slowing down. We are dismantling these networks piece by piece—and we won’t stop until the last brick of their empire falls.” They highlighted many of the operations across the country, along with the new methods cartels are using to disguise and import the deadly drugs into America, including fake oxycodone tablets that are laced with fentanyl. Highlighting the potentially deadly ramifications of fentanyl, Bondi was clear to mention the 10- year mandatory minimum sentence awaiting anyone who is caught dealing with 100 gram amounts of fentanyl or fentanyl related substance in any federal prosecutions. In addition to fentanyl related arrests, there seems to have in uptick in federal marijuana investigations, despite talks of potential legalization at the federal level and the many states that have passed laws allowing for recreational and/or medical use.
“Operation Take Back America” in Full-Swing
The busts were part of President Trump’s “Operation Take Back America,” a multi-agency operation which was announced in March with several executive orders that targeted foreign drug cartels that operate in the United States. With the passage of the new federal spending bill, Bondi was clear to highlight what resources will be made available to law enforcement, including “money for technology that will help our agents catch these criminals and they’re getting so sophisticated.” What technology specifically will be utilized by law enforcement under the new funding is yet to be covered, but one would anticipate that federal law enforcement would be seeking to utilize artificial intelligence services that can potentially assist or cut down on the amount of work by investigators, along with any state/local law enforcement likely looking into such matters as well. This could open up law enforcement and prosecutions to challenges however, as the use of any new technology could potentially run afoul of the constitutional rights of citizens and residents alike. Anyone facing drug charges should ensure that they have an experienced criminal defense attorney on their side who can investigate the methods use to obtain evidence and potentially challenge law enforcement tactics in order to preserve your freedom.
