Random drug searches at airports are temporarily on hold.
The Department of Justice has told the Drug Enforcement Agency to stop searching passengers at airports and other transit hubs—even though they are the prime conduit for drug trafficking—after a major discrepancy was uncovered.
According to the Inspector General, more than $3 billion was seized over a portion of time without having the proper documentation. Quite often, the men and women conducting the searches did so without the proper training. The DEA agents often confiscated cash without filing the proper charges.
You read that correctly, it was billions with a B.
The DOJ order came through last week. The report said that this happened over the course of a decade. It also made the suggestion that some DEA agents might have failed to utilize the proper documentation to pocket the cash that was seized.
No more random stops. Searches will only be allowed if connected to an ongoing criminal investigation or approved under exigent circumstances.
The system was almost foolproof. Agents were able to seize cash without charging anyone with a crime. The burden was then on the victims to prove that the money wasn’t for nefarious purposes.
But there have also been some instances in the past where Department of Justice involvement in the travel industry has been questioned.
