Bellatrix

Drug Corridors of the American South

By DAN MURTAUGH | Tuesday August 10th 2004 | Mobile Register


The arrest of three men last week on charges of trafficking marijuana shows the two interstates traversing Baldwin County continue to be "drug corridors," authorities said.

Bellatrix; now that's it's officially a "drug corridor" they have an excuse to make more of those intrusive and completely unconstitutional "traffic stops."

State troopers on Friday charged the three Texas men after finding 28 pounds of pot in their car when they were stopped on Interstate 65 with expired license plates, authorities said.

Bellatrix; nobody hates prohibition more than me, but if someone is dumb enough to try and transport marijuana in a car with expired licence plates, they deserve to get caught.

Angel Gabriel Flores and Jon David Olivarez, both 21, of Penitas, Texas, and Roberto Valdez Jr., 20, of La Joya, Texas, were all being held in Baldwin County Correc tions Center on $1 million bond each as of Monday, a jail spokesman said.

Trafficking marijuana is a Class A felony. Possessing between 2.2 and 100 pounds of marijuana carries a mandatory sentence of at least a three-year prison sentence and $25,000 fine, according to Alabama Criminal Code.

The men told troopers they were driv ing from Texas to North Carolina, said Cpl. Spencer Collier, spokesman for the state troopers.

The trooper stopped the 1997 Nissan Sentra near the Bay Minette exit on Interstate 65 at about 5 p.m. Friday, Collier said. The trooper found the marijuana in the trunk, Collier said.

Troopers can search a car after a traffic stop whenever they have probable cause or when people give them permission, Collier said.

Bellatrix; yet another good reason to KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. Then again, all a cop needs for "probable cause" is a very good sense of smell (real or imagined, doesn't matter), a drug-sniffing dog (real or imagined, doesn't matter), or a heightened terror alert (real or imagined, doesn't matter).

"You'd be surprised how many narcotics busts we make in routine traffic stops," Collier said.

Interstate 65 is one of the two major "drug corridors" that run through Baldwin and Mobile counties, said Sgt. Neil Holcombe, of the Baldwin County Sheriff's Department's narcotics division. The other is Interstate 10, Holcombe said.

On I-65, which runs from Mobile to Chicago, dealers tend to drive drugs north and return south with cash from their sales, Holcombe said. On I-10, drugs tend to move east with money filtering back west, Holcombe said.

I-10 is one of the biggest drug corridors in the nation, because it stretches from ocean to ocean and runs somewhat near Mexico, where many drugs enter America, Holcombe said.

"I-10 is the primary corridor for the southern half of the United States," he said.

Sam Houston, resident agent in charge of the Mobile office of the Drug Enforcement Agency, said federal agents have seized 31 kilograms of cocaine, 52 pounds of marijuana and $869,250 in cash from drug busts on the interstates in southern Alabama since October.

That does not include the marijuana confiscated on Friday.

Those figures also do not include many other stops on the interstates when the amount of drugs found was not enough to warrant federal prosecution, Houston said.

Holcombe said because most traffickers are passing through the county, law enforcement officials don't believe they cause a lot of peripheral crimes in Baldwin cities or near interstate exits.

"We haven't seen any connection with increase in crime in the county because of the two interstates," he said.

Holcombe said that if the Sheriff's Department gets specific information on a vehicle suspected of being used to move marijuana, it will patrol one of the interstates for it.

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Niteshift

they have an excuse to make more of those intrusive and completely unconstitutional "traffic stops."

What "unconstitutional traffic stops" are those? You mean like the one for expired license plates that even you agree was stupid for the smiugglers?

Then again, all a cop needs for "probable cause" is a very good sense of smell (real or imagined, doesn't matter), a drug-sniffing dog (real or imagined, doesn't matter), or a heightened terror alert (real or imagined, doesn't matter).

Please direct me to a case where a search on a traffic stop was based solely on a "heigthened terror alert".

Also, please direct me to a case where an imaginary drug dog was used.

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Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel is muzzle flash.

frostynugs

there have been several cases where hightened terror alert was used as an excuse to search a car, especially for those middle eastern folks out there. as for imaginary dogs, they aren't imaginary, but the signs they give to indicate they've smelled something are quite often. all the cop has to do is say the dog gave a signal, true or not, and he has the "probable cause" he needs to violate our rights.

Niteshift

there have been several cases where hightened terror alert was used as an excuse to search a car, especially for those middle eastern folks out there.

Was it the SOLE reason? That was the question.

And Bellatrix is asserting that this will be used in drug enforcement. Were any of those incidents drug related?


but the signs they give to indicate they've smelled something are quite often.

Really? Care to support that?

Bellatrix

No. Frostynugs and I are entitled to our opinions, and we have the right to base them on absolutely nothing.

Niteshift, you are, once again, cluttering up these boards with nitpicking and stupid questions. You're lucky that potheads are so nice - you should have been banned a long time ago. It looks like I'll be reporting your behaviour to a moderator (yet again... *sigh* )

JTP

Why do people cry when baseless contentions are challenged?

WhatTheFawk

I don't know if you were being sarcastic, but you're right you are both entitled to your opinions. Of course basing an opinion on absolutly nothing is stupid. If you can't back it up, why would you post it on a site like this or anywhere. Don't do something just because you can, I thought Bill Clinton taught us that. I think Niteshift it just trying to get people to think before they start bashing the other side the same way they try to bash us. The questions he asked are not stupid, they are just ones that you can not answer.

Not every cop is an asshole, thats out to get pot heads.

Niteshift

No. Frostynugs and I are entitled to our opinions, and we have the right to base them on absolutely nothing.

Did I say you weren't? I simply ASKED you to show me examples.

Now you have admitted that you based them on absolutely nothing.

Niteshift, you are, once again, cluttering up these boards with nitpicking and stupid questions.

Asking you to show me an example is "nitpicking and stupid"?

I'd suggest that stating something based on nothing is stupid, but I see someone else already has, so I'll refrain.


I'll remind you of some of your own words:

"Since when is someone asking you a straight question and demanding an answer "condescending"?" (I guess it's not, but apparently it's "nitpicking and stupid" )

"We all have to do some legwork once in a while, so don't whine when your turn comes around." (Unless of course it is being applied to you.......then it's "nitpicking and stupid")


You're lucky that potheads are so nice - you should have been banned a long time ago.

That's pretty funny coming from you.

Edit: I changed my mind, showing the inflammatory remarks you've made to me in other threads serves little purpose.



It looks like I'll be reporting your behaviour to a moderator

Go right ahead, because they will also see your behavior in this post as well.

gratefuldead

oh my ******* god i cant believe that happened in my county

gratefuldead

oh and that 52 lbs of marijuana that they so called got from drug bust was found on a beach that floated in from the gulf it happened really close to my house