In the case of U.S. Border Patrol drug seizures, many individuals most likely assume brokers are primarily concentrating on massive shipments of unlawful substances being smuggled by worldwide cartels. However at checkpoints throughout the nation, brokers are principally taking small quantities of marijuana from Americans, in accordance with a brand new report from the Authorities Accountability Workplace (GAO).
The workplace, which serves gives auditing and investigation companies for Congress, analyzed Border Patrol knowledge of 17,960 separate checkpoint seizure occasions from 2016 to 2020.
“GAO discovered that almost all drug seizure occasions concerned solely U.S. residents (91 p.c), of which 75 p.c concerned the seizure of marijuana and no different medication,” the report, which was printed on Monday, says.
By way of GAO.
The evaluation of checkpoint knowledge additionally discovered that, total, 69 p.c of marijuana seizures have been for private use quantities of lower than an oz.
“About half of checkpoint occasions wherein Border Patrol seized medication from U.S. residents (8,098 of 16,315) included the seizure of a private use amount of marijuana and no different medication.”
The report, some findings from which have been earlier noted by Hashish Wire, additional discovered that Border Patrol brokers “didn’t constantly doc seizures of hint quantities of marijuana, resembling marijuana residue discovered on paraphernalia.” Based on company steering, hint hashish must be labeled otherwise than paraphernalia containing small bits of marijuana, however GAO discovered that “1,973 seized gadgets containing hint quantities of marijuana” have been “incorrectly documented.”
Border Patrol: Actions Wanted to Enhance Checkpoint Oversight and Information https://t.co/0HX6R9r6sl
— U.S. GAO (@USGAO) June 6, 2022
“Border Patrol headquarters officers informed us that they usually focus their oversight of drug seizure knowledge on comparatively massive seizures, resembling marijuana seizures over 100 kilos on the southwest border,” the report says. “Consequently, officers acknowledged that incorrect documentation of small portions of marijuana, resembling hint quantities, would possible be undetected by headquarters.”
Consequently, Border Patrol “doesn’t have dependable info on all drug seizure exercise at checkpoints,” GAO mentioned.
In the meantime, per different research and federal experiences, the evaluation confirmed a major decline in marijuana seizures at checkpoints total since 2016, as extra states have moved to supply customers with a technique to legally buy hashish from regulated companies and federal prosecutors have more and more urged discretion in marijuana circumstances. In 2016, there have been 70,058 kilos of marijuana seized at checkpoints by Border Patrol, in comparison with 30,828 kilos in 2020.
By way of GAO.
“Border Patrol officers from all chosen checkpoints we met with informed us that U.S. Legal professional’s workplaces of their sector usually don’t prosecute individuals for possessing private use portions of marijuana,” GAO mentioned. “In such circumstances, individuals from whom marijuana is seized could also be (1) referred to state or native authorities for felony investigation or (2) launched.”
GAO made a collection of suggestions to enhance Border Patrol insurance policies and enforcement. For instance, it mentioned that the company “ought to make sure that sectors and the Checkpoint Program Administration Workplace (CPMO) are overseeing that checkpoint exercise knowledge are constantly and precisely recorded,” together with for “seizures of hint quantities of marijuana.”
In 2019, a coalition of senators requested a overview of Border Patrol immigration checkpoint actions, citing a previous report that discovered a major variety of searches and seizures have been executed towards U.S. residents for low-level marijuana possession. It’s unclear if this new report is instantly aware of the lawmakers’ request.
A separate new GAO report, launched final month, additionally criticized Border Patrol as a result of it does “not have fields” on types for brokers “to document knowledge on the varied sub-types of marijuana that exist” resembling “edibles or THC oils and waxes.”
“That is noteworthy as a result of marijuana represents 27 p.c of whole CBP drug seizures from fiscal years 2016 by means of 2021,” the report says. “Intelligence officers acknowledged that they’re unable to acquire a full image of marijuana seizures of their evaluation as a result of these seizures usually are not categorized into these extra particular sub-types, and every sub-type of marijuana can have its personal smuggling traits.”
In the meantime, the FBI’s system of reporting state and native marijuana arrests could also be critically flawed, and a neighborhood Maryland official with in depth drug coverage expertise is asking the Justice Division Workplace of the Inspector Common to launch a proper investigation into the matter.
Picture courtesy of Mike Latimer.