Inglorious Drug Smugglers and Their California Connections
Law enforcement officials will continue to punish those who illegally import and sell drugs in America. For those charged with such crimes, experienced legal counsel can make all the difference.
April 24, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Inglorious Drug Smugglers and Their California Connections
By air, land or sea, drugs are smuggled into the United States. In particular, many drug cartels located in countries south of the U.S. use the Mexican border as a key entry point for their drug smuggling activities. Even bolder traffickers grow drugs like marijuana on American soil to remove the threat of getting caught while crossing borders. To help curb the practice of smuggling drugs into the U.S., harsh federal sentencing guidelines were established. Both federal and state law enforcement officials will continue to identify and punish any persons or efforts to illegally import and sell drugs in America. But for those charged with such crimes, having experienced legal counsel can make all the difference.
California Scheming
Drug smuggling is more prevalent in states bordering Mexico, even though various narcotics find their way to almost every U.S. state once they enter the country. California has a large amount of smuggling because of its proximity to Mexico. San Diego and Imperial Counties in particular see major drug shipments from the south on a regular basis, ranging from cocaine and heroin to marijuana, methamphetamine and ecstasy. Marijuana and methamphetamine are also commonly grown or produced within the state.
According to Drug Enforcement Agency statistics from 2008, federal drug seizures in California included over 800 pounds of heroin, almost 5,000 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 18,000 pounds of cocaine, 300,000 plus ecstasy pills and upwards of 413,000 pounds of marijuana. In their annual report National Drug Threat Summary for 2009, the U.S. Department of Justice indicates that while the demand for some drugs will continue at high levels or increase, the availability of these drugs may change due to additional law enforcement initiatives, further legislative drug restrictions and new sources and locations for growing or producing drugs.
Criminal Pursuits
Regardless of the future of the demand or availability of certain drugs, there will still be a strong criminal presence of drug smugglers crossing borders and distributing drugs. There are a number of potential crimes from which law enforcement agencies can choose to prosecute persons caught smuggling drugs internationally. An international drug smuggler or trafficker may be charged with crimes such as possession, possession with intent to distribute, possession for sale, manufacturing, distribution, importation or conspiracy.
It is also a crime to possess certain chemicals that are used to manufacture controlled substances such as methamphetamine. Over the counter drugs containing pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, for example, are more controlled because of their use in meth labs. Of course, laws for drug crimes vary based on the drug type, amount of a controlled substance in possession, and the location of the drug-related crime.
Quantity v. Quality
When it comes to federal sentencing for drug-related offenses, courts must consider the type of drug, the location of the offense and prior convictions for the same crime. However, the most important factor in where a person falls in within the federal sentencing guidelines is the quantity of drugs in their possession. Having small quantities on your person could be labeled as simple possession, but having larger quantities could lead to a charge of possession with intent to distribute.
Typical first-time offenders caught with smaller quantities of drugs, such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, are faced with federal sentences between five and 40 years in prison and fines that could go up to $2 million for an individual. For trafficking around 100 pounds of marijuana, a first offense exposes a person to prison for up to five years with a fine of up to $250,000. These minimum penalties under the federal guidelines radically increase based on possessing higher volumes of drugs, involvement of serious injury or death or for second offenses.
Hope for the Accused
Violations of federal controlled substance laws are serious offenses, and those convicted of drug-related crimes face harsh punishment. This makes hiring experienced, knowledgeable legal counsel all the more important. Even when evidence of a person's guilt appears overwhelming, a specialist in criminal law can provide the sort of tenacious representation necessary to protect his client's rights and interests. Depending on the circumstances of the case, an experienced attorney may even be able to negotiate with prosecutors to reduce charges.
Maneuvering the criminal legal system can be difficult and complex. Contact an attorney experienced in international drug crimes and criminal defense in your area to discuss your case and help you weigh your options. Even in the face of serious charges, there is still hope.
Press Release Contact Information:
Findlaw PR
