How have I never been suspected of drug smuggling?

tawood

tawood

En-Route
Joined
Sep 22, 2015
Messages
2,558
Location
SE Michigan
Display Name
Display name:
Tim
This case is interesting...they suspected the plane was drug smuggling because the flight made frequent stops for fuel, frequent altitude and course changes, and at one point turned off its transponder for a whole THREE MINUTES (gasp!). This pretty much describes every flight I've ever made.
Further, they make mention of "airport informants" reporting the pilot locking the cabin door after exiting (I do this nearly every time I exit my plane). And now I wonder, who the heck are these "airport informants"???

http://www.patc.com/articles/2017_us_v_rosales_chapman.pdf
 
tawood said:
This case is interesting...they suspected the plane was drug smuggling because the flight made frequent stops for fuel, frequent altitude and course changes, and at one point turned off its transponder for a whole THREE MINUTES (gasp!). This pretty much describes every flight I've ever made.
Further, they make mention of "airport informants" reporting the pilot locking the cabin door after exiting (I do this nearly every time I exit my plane). And now I wonder, who the heck are these "airport informants"???

http://www.patc.com/articles/2017_us_v_rosales_chapman.pdf
Click to expand...

I dunno, you do seem suspicious. What's your N#?
 
Crazy. I'm doing a CFI online renewal and one of the units on airport security has TSA stating to lock the doors.
 
tawood said:
they suspected the plane was drug smuggling because the flight made frequent stops for fuel, frequent altitude and course changes,
Click to expand...

Obviously, flying under the influence.

(Sarcasm alert for those of you sarcasm challenged.)
 
Yeah, I'm sure a Federal agency or 3 has the $$$ & resources to look into 'suspicious' flight activity. I've taken to the air at 'odd' times, usually to beat some type of weather moving in. I guess if one only has a leg or two of that odd activity the interest wanes.

They may of had indicators of illegal activity beyond what's in the article. I landed at one airport and proceeded to load coolers into a vehicle. I lightly joked with the desk lady about my activities. She went on to mention a local pilot who was busted transporting drugs. In my case I was visiting the processor to load some venison, yes I really was.
 
I was infuriated beginning reading that link...what kind of rights do we have?....this is complete bulls#!t...probable cause my arse!

...oh wait, they WERE actually guilty...

Nevermind...good job.
 
Yeah I'd be a lot more sympathetic if they were carrying boxes of diapers.

However, this kind of ignorant (on the part of the courts and the Boy$ With Government Toy$) "suspicion" just sets precedent to have the average pilot put under the eye, potentially meeting with fatal outcome if they "resist".
 
sourdough44 said:
...They may of had indicators of illegal activity beyond what's in the article...
Click to expand...

Ok, I did a little more digging...they were watching this guy for some time. Apparently, he bought a Beechcraft Bonanza, with cash, then got his pilot's license, with cash, yet claimed to be unemployed for something like 8 years and without income. Further, he had suddenly been travelling repeatedly between Philly and LA on commercial flights (paying for them, of course, with cash), and was also out on bond for a dope possession case and an illegal firearm.
 
I'm pretty certain I saw that aircraft at KLOM. One of the POA's administrators is a very suspicious gentleman, he's made similar trips in his light aircraft and has even attracted the attention of Homeland Security. That long blond ponytail probably didn't help matters either.

All that said, what is Homeland Security doing in the drug interdiction business? Don't we already have people for that? I thought HS was supposed to be capturing terrorists. Silly me.
 
It says "leaving Los Angeles, a common “source city” for drugs, and because it was heading towards Philadelphia, a common “destination city” for drugs..." So are they looking at all traffic going east or just between those cities and how did they know it was going to Philly when it took off?
 
We were briefed one summer in Alaska on what to look for as suspicious activities. On thing to look for was grass stains on the prop. I was doing a lot of off airport work in a C-206. Guess what color my prop tips were....
 
Zeldman said:
We were briefed one summer in Alaska on what to look for as suspicious activities. On thing to look for was grass stains on the prop. I was doing a lot of off airport work in a C-206. Guess what color my prop tips were....
Click to expand...
By Odin, after taxiing in the grass at Oshkosh I've grass stains on my prop! Better wash the airplane before I get pinched by law enforcement!
 
steingar said:
I'm pretty certain I saw that aircraft at KLOM. One of the POA's administrators is a very suspicious gentleman, he's made similar trips in his light aircraft and has even attracted the attention of Homeland Security. That long blond ponytail probably didn't help matters either...
Click to expand...
I believe it was N659V...
 
cgrab said:
It says "leaving Los Angeles, a common “source city” for drugs, and because it was heading towards Philadelphia, a common “destination city” for drugs..." So are they looking at all traffic going east or just between those cities and how did they know it was going to Philly when it took off?
Click to expand...
Being involved in law enforcement, this case smells of "well, now that we've made the bust, we need to come up with WHY we made the bust..." and then the report writers don't do a very good job to explain the why...
 
steingar said:
All that said, what is Homeland Security doing in the drug interdiction business? Don't we already have people for that? I thought HS was supposed to be capturing terrorists. Silly me.
Click to expand...
They don't have any "real" business to attend to, so they use us for "practice" and to justify their budgets.
 
tawood said:
Being involved in law enforcement, this case smells of "well, now that we've made the bust, we need to come up with WHY we made the bust..." and then the report writers don't do a very good job to explain the why...
Click to expand...

Exactly.

You think for every car pulled over with a broken tail light the officer is concerned with the general welfare and safety of the motoring public?
 
Shawn said:
Exactly.

You think for every car pulled over with a broken tail light the officer is concerned with the general welfare and safety of the motoring public?
Click to expand...
It's called "pretext." And it's despicable.
 
tawood. No sweat. I've called a couple of friends in the DEA, and told them you are smuggling drugs in a small plane.
I didn't want you to feel left out.

:devil: :devil: :devil:
 
tawood said:
This case is interesting...they suspected the plane was drug smuggling because the flight made frequent stops for fuel, frequent altitude and course changes ...
Click to expand...
I am leaving on a 3,000nm cross-country trip (yes, across the COUNTRY, not just 1 state :) ) soon and wonder whether I too will be considered a prime suspect because, let's face it, I don't have the endurance so I WILL be making frequent fuel stops, altitude and course changes.
I will be bringing a 4-oz bag of home-grown parsley to my culinary friend as a gift, I wonder if that will be enough for some dumb LE schmuck to bust me.
It was nice knowing y'all.
 
BigBadLou said:
I am leaving on a 3,000nm cross-country trip (yes, across the COUNTRY, not just 1 state :) ) soon and wonder whether I too will be considered a prime suspect because, let's face it, I don't have the endurance so I WILL be making frequent fuel stops, altitude and course changes.
I will be bringing a 4-oz bag of home-grown parsley to my culinary friend as a gift, I wonder if that will be enough for some dumb LE schmuck to bust me.
It was nice knowing y'all.
Click to expand...
Make sure you turn your 4096 off outside of Mode C's and fly nap of the earth over "non-congested areas" in your Velocity.
 
paflyer said:
Make sure you turn your 4096 off outside of Mode C's and fly nap of the earth over "non-congested areas" in your Velocity.
Click to expand...

They may still stick a tracking transponder, without your knowledge, on your plane. Forget the code, last I monitored one on radar was in the late 70s. Can only imagine what they use now.
 
paflyer said:
They don't have any "real" business to attend to, so they use us for "practice" and to justify their budgets.
Click to expand...

Yes, and they have the $$$ to do it. May as well add some more duties to justify their existence.
 
steingar said:
I'm pretty certain I saw that aircraft at KLOM. One of the POA's administrators is a very suspicious gentleman, he's made similar trips in his light aircraft and has even attracted the attention of Homeland Security. That long blond ponytail probably didn't help matters either.
Click to expand...

Yep, been about 7.5 years since that happened. Won't forget that night anytime soon. Also don't plan on heading back to KLBL anytime soon.
 
paflyer said:
And?
Click to expand...

The ruling leads me to believe the officers had advance knowledge of his criminal history. That added to an abnormal cross country flight, loss of transponder, the departure and destination points was reasonable suspicion to stop the guy under Terry. The rest was plain view doctrine.
 
tawood said:
Yes. Although I don't like using the term "war" on our own citizens.
Click to expand...

Do you suppose the fact you are involved in enforcing these laws might have something to do with the fact that you've not been accused of drug smuggling (returning to to the OP)?

And that others might be more likely to be victims of such false accusations or outright violent attempts at enforcement actions?
 
PeterNSteinmetz said:
Do you suppose the fact you are involved in enforcing these laws might have something to do with the fact that you've not been accused of drug smuggling (returning to to the OP)?

And that others might be more likely to be victims of such false accusations or outright violent attempts at enforcement actions?
Click to expand...
No.
When I was a new officer, one of our detectives who was about to retire decided to make some "real money" by transporting cocaine. He was busted on his first attempt (at least he and the feds said it was his first attempt). Personally I have been accused of other (albeit minor) offenses in the past, and I never thought my being in law enforcement had anything to do with the accusation one way or another.
On another note, I have personally been the "Officer in Charge" of several convictions of law enforcement officers of various crimes. Just an FYI, they are treated more harshly than the general public when it comes to punishment (as I think they should), unlike the common misconception that they "get off easy".
 
It would be interesting to see some actual numbers on likelihood of LE being caught. I have heard from a fairly reliable source that the CIA teaches its trainees that all DEA agents should be assumed to be corrupt.
 
PeterNSteinmetz said:
It would be interesting to see some actual numbers on likelihood of LE being caught. I have heard from a fairly reliable source that the CIA teaches its trainees that all DEA agents should be assumed to be corrupt.
Click to expand...
Hmm, although I've never heard that, it wouldn't shock me either. I can only speak from my own experience...and from my experience, I would say that overall, LE is MUCH less likely to be involved in criminal activity to begin with...of course, there are always a few bad apples in any profession.
 
Oh, and back to your question if maybe I've never been accused of smuggling because I'm LE...there really is nothing that would tell an outside agency that I am actually LE...people think you can just "look it up" in some database or computer, but you can't. It would take them doing some background (such as following me to work, talking to associates, pulling tax returns) before any feds would know what I do. (Or they could read it here, lol)
 
I know it's a fine line, but if I landed and some officers wanted to question me, I'd be okay with it if they were courteous about it. It's like being ramp checked. You can get all legal about it and tell the FAA guy about your rights, or you can let the guy talk with you a few minutes. Of course, there are limits. I wouldn't want some brute tearing through my plane or have a drug dog scratching up the interior.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top