(The Middle Sq.) – The U.S. Division of Justice informed the Drug Enforcement Administration to droop consensual searches at airports and different mass transit services after listening to about potential civil rights violations.
Division of Justice Inspector Basic Michael Horowitz introduced the suspension after listening to considerations about within the DEA’s transportation interdiction efforts, which embody conducting consensual searches.
Throughout such searches, the DEA Job Power Teams method folks at airports, ask for consent to talk with the particular person and, if the Particular Brokers or Job Power Officers assume it warranted, ask for consent to look the person’s belongings.
The observe has raised civil rights considerations after video of 1 search went public.
Horowitz mentioned the DEA wasn’t following its personal insurance policies on these searches, which regularly included seizing money. Such seizures put the onus on the traveler to show the cash wasn’t from drug trafficking to get it again.
Horowitz mentioned the DEA wasn’t complying with its personal coverage to doc every consensual encounter regardless of the company having promised to take action in 2015.
The Workplace of Inspector Basic’s workplace additionally mentioned the DEA had suspended its transportation interdiction coaching in 2023. Such coaching is required by DEA coverage and has not restarted, in line with the memo.
The alert got here after a search earlier this yr involving a traveler who was approached for a consensual encounter by a DEA Job Power Officer whereas boarding a flight.
The observe has raised civil rights considerations after video of 1 search went public.
Horowitz mentioned the DEA wasn’t following its personal insurance policies on these searches, which regularly included seizing money. Such seizures put the onus on the traveler to show the cash wasn’t from drug trafficking to get it again.
Horowitz mentioned the DEA wasn’t complying with its personal coverage to doc every consensual encounter regardless of the company having promised to take action in 2015.
The Workplace of Inspector Basic’s workplace additionally mentioned the DEA had suspended its transportation interdiction coaching in 2023. Such coaching is required by DEA coverage and has not restarted, in line with the memo.
The alert got here after a search earlier this yr involving a traveler who was approached for a consensual encounter by a DEA Job Power Officer whereas boarding a flight.
The OIG concluded that persevering with such searches might “imperil the Department’s asset forfeiture and seizure activities.”
“Absence of critical controls, such as adequate policies, guidance, training, and data collection, the DEA is creating substantial risks that DEA Special Agents and Task Force Officers will conduct these activities improperly; impose unwarranted burdens on, and violate the legal rights of, innocent travelers; imperil the Department’s asset forfeiture and seizure activities; and waste law enforcement resources on ineffective interdiction actions.”
The Deputy Lawyer Basic issued the directive to the DEA suspending all consensual encounters at mass transportation services “unless they are either connected to an ongoing, predicated investigation involving one or more identified targets or criminal networks or approved by the DEA Administrator based on exigent circumstances.”
