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Global Drug Enforcement

Practical Investigative Techniques

CRC SERIES INPRACTICAL ASPECTS OF CRIMINAL AND

FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONSVERNON JGEBERTH BBA MPS FBINA Series Editor

Practical Homicide Investigation Tactics Procedures and ForensicTechniques Third EditionVernon JGeberth

The Counterterrorism Handbook Tactics Procedures and TechniquesSecond EditionFrank Bolz Jr Kenneth JDudonis and David PSchulz

Forensic Pathology Second EditionDominick JDi Maio and Vincent JMDi Maio

Interpretation of Bloodstain Evidence at Crime Scenes Second EditionWilliam GEckert and Stuart HJames

Tire Imprint EvidencePeter McDonald

Practical Drug Enforcement Second EditionMichael DLyman

Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation A Multidisciplinary ApproachThird EditionRobert RHazelwood and Ann Wolbert Burgess

The Sexual Exploitation of Children A Practical Guide to AssessmentInvestigation and Intervention Second EditionSeth LGoldstein

Gunshot Wounds Practical Aspects of Firearms Ballistics and ForensicTechniques Second EditionVincent JMDi Maio

Friction Ridge Skin Comparison and Identification of FingerprintsJames FCowger

Footwear Impression Evidence Second EditionWilliam JBodziak

Principles of Kinesic Interview and InterrogationStan Walters

Practical Fire and Arson Investigation Second EditionDavid RRedsicker and John JOrsquoConnor

The Practical Methodology of Forensic Photography Second EditionDavid RRedsicker

Practical Aspects of Interview and Interrogation Second EditionDavid EZulawski and Douglas EWicklander

Investigating Computer CrimeFranklin Clark and Ken Diliberto

Practical Homicide Investigation Checklist and Field GuideVernon JGeberth

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis With an Introduction to Crime SceneReconstruction Second EditionTom Bevel and Ross MGardner

Practical Aspects of Munchausen by Proxy and Munchausen SyndromeInvestigationKathryn Artingstall

Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis An Introduction to Basicand Advanced RidgeologyDavid RAshbaugh

Practical Criminal Investigations in Correctional FacilitiesWilliam RBell

Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force Practical InvestigativeTechniquesDavid EHatch

Sex-Related Homicide and Death Investigation Practical and ClinicalPerspectivesVernon JGeberth

iii

Global Drug Enforcement

Practical Investigative Techniques

Gregory DLee

CRC PRESS

Boca Raton London New York Washington DC

This edition published in the Taylor amp Francis e-Library 2005

ldquoTo purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor amp Francis or Routledgersquos collection ofthousands of eBooks please go to wwweBookstoretandfcoukrdquo

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataLee Gregory D 1953

Global drug enforcement practical investigative techniquesby Gregory DLeep cmmdash(CRC series in practical aspects of criminal and forensic investigations)

Includes bibliographical references and indexISBN 0-8493-1629-4

1 Drug trafficmdashInvestigation 2 Criminal investigation 3 Narcotics Control of 4Narcotics Control ofmdashInternational cooperation I Title II Series

HV8079N3L437 200336325prime977mdashdc22 2003058470

This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources Reprintedmaterial

is quoted with permission and sources are indicated A wide variety of references are listedReasonable

efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information but the author and the publishercannot

assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use

Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic

or mechanical including photocopying microfilming and recording or by any information storageor

retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher

The consent of CRC Press LLC does not extend to copying for general distribution for promotionfor

creating new works or for resale Specific permission must be obtained in writing from CRC PressLLC

for such copying

Direct all inquiries to CRC Press LLC 2000 NW Corporate Blvd Boca Raton Florida 33431

Trademark Notice Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks andare

used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe

Visit the CRC Press Web site at wwwcrcpresscom

copy 2004 by CRC Press LLC

No claim to original US Government works

ISBN 0-203-48898-9 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-58736-7 (Adobe eReader Format)International Standard Book Number 0-8493-1629-4 (Print Edition)

Library of Congress Card Number 2003058470

Dedication

This work is dedicated first of all to my wife Virginiafor her love devotion and encouragement throughout

this endeavor It is also dedicated to the brave menand women of the Drug Enforcement Administration

around the world who sacrifice so muchfor their country and fellow man

Editorrsquos Note

This textbook is part of the ldquoPractical Aspects of Criminal and ForensicInvestigationsrdquo series This series was created by Vernon JGeberth New YorkCity Police Department Lieutenant Commander (Retired) who is an authoreducator and consultant on homicide and forensic investigation This series hasbeen designed to provide contemporary comprehensive and pragmaticinformation to the practitioner involved in criminal and forensic investigation byauthors who are nationally recognized experts in their respective fields

Preface

Unlike other criminal investigation books that only devote a chapter or two to thetopic Global Drug Enforcement Practical Investigative Techniques is devotedentirely to this specialized field of proactive criminal investigation This bookreplicates and greatly expands on many of the topics both new and in-serviceemployees of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) receive in theirtraining

This book serves the needs of criminal justice majors federal agents policeofficers detectives newly assigned to a drug unit police training institutions andmembers of the legal profession who want to expand their knowledge in the fieldIt serves equally well as a reference for many foreign police officials who arecharged with enforcing their countryrsquos drug laws

There are two major parts The first deals in the fundamentals of druginvestigation and includes comprehensive chapters on drug identificationundercover operations and the handling of confidential informants The secondpart is devoted to complex drug cases with chapters on conspiracyinvestigations clandestine laboratories intelligence and money laundering

There is also a glossary of common terms used in drug enforcement as well astwo chapters devoted to the similarities in conducting drug and terrorisminvestigations and the nexus between drugs and terrorism Drug agents knowthat winning the war on drugs contributes significantly to winning the war onterrorism since drug profits fund many terrorism events Throughout the work Iuse the term drug agent which is synonymous with investigator detectiveofficer or any other title used by law enforcement personnel who perform druginvestigations

During my 30-year career in law enforcement I have taught drug enforcementand terrorism topics both to new and in-service federal agents state and localpolice officers foreign police officials and members of the US intelligencecommunity While a special agent with the DEArsquos Office of Training at the FBIAcademy in Quantico VA I traveled to Europe Asia Central and SouthAmerica and the Middle East as a member of an international training team Idiscovered each region I visited had a common thirst for more detailedknowledge on the subject that could not be found in print medium This textbookwas written in part to help provide domestic and international law enforcement

officers with a one-stop reference source on contemporary drug enforcementThe investigative techniques revealed in this textbook should work well in mostnations regardless of their judicial system

ix

Author

Gregory DLee recently retired as a Supervisory Special Agent for the USDepartment of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Throughouthis diverse government career he has conducted and supervised numerousinternational drug investigations and at one time was the resident agent-in-charge of the DEArsquos Karachi Pakistan office While in Pakistan from 1994 to1998 MrLee became involved in several notable terrorism investigations andparticipated in the arrest of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef the mastermind behind the1993 World Trade Center bombings and later testified at his trial As a result ofhis experiences in Pakistan he has lectured for and consulted with variousagencies within the US intelligence community He taught conspiracyinvestigations drug smuggling informant management and many other coursesas a course developerinstructor at the DEArsquos Office of Training located at theFBI Academy in Quantico Virginia He spent a year as a member of one of DEArsquosinternational training teams visiting many foreign countries providing drugenforcement training to foreign law enforcement officials He is the author ofseveral articles on drug enforcement topics for professional publications

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Global Drug Enforcement

Practical Investigative Techniques

CRC SERIES INPRACTICAL ASPECTS OF CRIMINAL AND

FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONSVERNON JGEBERTH BBA MPS FBINA Series Editor

Practical Homicide Investigation Tactics Procedures and ForensicTechniques Third EditionVernon JGeberth

The Counterterrorism Handbook Tactics Procedures and TechniquesSecond EditionFrank Bolz Jr Kenneth JDudonis and David PSchulz

Forensic Pathology Second EditionDominick JDi Maio and Vincent JMDi Maio

Interpretation of Bloodstain Evidence at Crime Scenes Second EditionWilliam GEckert and Stuart HJames

Tire Imprint EvidencePeter McDonald

Practical Drug Enforcement Second EditionMichael DLyman

Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation A Multidisciplinary ApproachThird EditionRobert RHazelwood and Ann Wolbert Burgess

The Sexual Exploitation of Children A Practical Guide to AssessmentInvestigation and Intervention Second EditionSeth LGoldstein

Gunshot Wounds Practical Aspects of Firearms Ballistics and ForensicTechniques Second EditionVincent JMDi Maio

Friction Ridge Skin Comparison and Identification of FingerprintsJames FCowger

Footwear Impression Evidence Second EditionWilliam JBodziak

Principles of Kinesic Interview and InterrogationStan Walters

Practical Fire and Arson Investigation Second EditionDavid RRedsicker and John JOrsquoConnor

The Practical Methodology of Forensic Photography Second EditionDavid RRedsicker

Practical Aspects of Interview and Interrogation Second EditionDavid EZulawski and Douglas EWicklander

Investigating Computer CrimeFranklin Clark and Ken Diliberto

Practical Homicide Investigation Checklist and Field GuideVernon JGeberth

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis With an Introduction to Crime SceneReconstruction Second EditionTom Bevel and Ross MGardner

Practical Aspects of Munchausen by Proxy and Munchausen SyndromeInvestigationKathryn Artingstall

Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis An Introduction to Basicand Advanced RidgeologyDavid RAshbaugh

Practical Criminal Investigations in Correctional FacilitiesWilliam RBell

Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force Practical InvestigativeTechniquesDavid EHatch

Sex-Related Homicide and Death Investigation Practical and ClinicalPerspectivesVernon JGeberth

iii

Global Drug Enforcement

Practical Investigative Techniques

Gregory DLee

CRC PRESS

Boca Raton London New York Washington DC

This edition published in the Taylor amp Francis e-Library 2005

ldquoTo purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor amp Francis or Routledgersquos collection ofthousands of eBooks please go to wwweBookstoretandfcoukrdquo

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataLee Gregory D 1953

Global drug enforcement practical investigative techniquesby Gregory DLeep cmmdash(CRC series in practical aspects of criminal and forensic investigations)

Includes bibliographical references and indexISBN 0-8493-1629-4

1 Drug trafficmdashInvestigation 2 Criminal investigation 3 Narcotics Control of 4Narcotics Control ofmdashInternational cooperation I Title II Series

HV8079N3L437 200336325prime977mdashdc22 2003058470

This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources Reprintedmaterial

is quoted with permission and sources are indicated A wide variety of references are listedReasonable

efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information but the author and the publishercannot

assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use

Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic

or mechanical including photocopying microfilming and recording or by any information storageor

retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher

The consent of CRC Press LLC does not extend to copying for general distribution for promotionfor

creating new works or for resale Specific permission must be obtained in writing from CRC PressLLC

for such copying

Direct all inquiries to CRC Press LLC 2000 NW Corporate Blvd Boca Raton Florida 33431

Trademark Notice Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks andare

used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe

Visit the CRC Press Web site at wwwcrcpresscom

copy 2004 by CRC Press LLC

No claim to original US Government works

ISBN 0-203-48898-9 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-58736-7 (Adobe eReader Format)International Standard Book Number 0-8493-1629-4 (Print Edition)

Library of Congress Card Number 2003058470

Dedication

This work is dedicated first of all to my wife Virginiafor her love devotion and encouragement throughout

this endeavor It is also dedicated to the brave menand women of the Drug Enforcement Administration

around the world who sacrifice so muchfor their country and fellow man

Editorrsquos Note

This textbook is part of the ldquoPractical Aspects of Criminal and ForensicInvestigationsrdquo series This series was created by Vernon JGeberth New YorkCity Police Department Lieutenant Commander (Retired) who is an authoreducator and consultant on homicide and forensic investigation This series hasbeen designed to provide contemporary comprehensive and pragmaticinformation to the practitioner involved in criminal and forensic investigation byauthors who are nationally recognized experts in their respective fields

Preface

Unlike other criminal investigation books that only devote a chapter or two to thetopic Global Drug Enforcement Practical Investigative Techniques is devotedentirely to this specialized field of proactive criminal investigation This bookreplicates and greatly expands on many of the topics both new and in-serviceemployees of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) receive in theirtraining

This book serves the needs of criminal justice majors federal agents policeofficers detectives newly assigned to a drug unit police training institutions andmembers of the legal profession who want to expand their knowledge in the fieldIt serves equally well as a reference for many foreign police officials who arecharged with enforcing their countryrsquos drug laws

There are two major parts The first deals in the fundamentals of druginvestigation and includes comprehensive chapters on drug identificationundercover operations and the handling of confidential informants The secondpart is devoted to complex drug cases with chapters on conspiracyinvestigations clandestine laboratories intelligence and money laundering

There is also a glossary of common terms used in drug enforcement as well astwo chapters devoted to the similarities in conducting drug and terrorisminvestigations and the nexus between drugs and terrorism Drug agents knowthat winning the war on drugs contributes significantly to winning the war onterrorism since drug profits fund many terrorism events Throughout the work Iuse the term drug agent which is synonymous with investigator detectiveofficer or any other title used by law enforcement personnel who perform druginvestigations

During my 30-year career in law enforcement I have taught drug enforcementand terrorism topics both to new and in-service federal agents state and localpolice officers foreign police officials and members of the US intelligencecommunity While a special agent with the DEArsquos Office of Training at the FBIAcademy in Quantico VA I traveled to Europe Asia Central and SouthAmerica and the Middle East as a member of an international training team Idiscovered each region I visited had a common thirst for more detailedknowledge on the subject that could not be found in print medium This textbookwas written in part to help provide domestic and international law enforcement

officers with a one-stop reference source on contemporary drug enforcementThe investigative techniques revealed in this textbook should work well in mostnations regardless of their judicial system

ix

Author

Gregory DLee recently retired as a Supervisory Special Agent for the USDepartment of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Throughouthis diverse government career he has conducted and supervised numerousinternational drug investigations and at one time was the resident agent-in-charge of the DEArsquos Karachi Pakistan office While in Pakistan from 1994 to1998 MrLee became involved in several notable terrorism investigations andparticipated in the arrest of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef the mastermind behind the1993 World Trade Center bombings and later testified at his trial As a result ofhis experiences in Pakistan he has lectured for and consulted with variousagencies within the US intelligence community He taught conspiracyinvestigations drug smuggling informant management and many other coursesas a course developerinstructor at the DEArsquos Office of Training located at theFBI Academy in Quantico Virginia He spent a year as a member of one of DEArsquosinternational training teams visiting many foreign countries providing drugenforcement training to foreign law enforcement officials He is the author ofseveral articles on drug enforcement topics for professional publications

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

CRC SERIES INPRACTICAL ASPECTS OF CRIMINAL AND

FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONSVERNON JGEBERTH BBA MPS FBINA Series Editor

Practical Homicide Investigation Tactics Procedures and ForensicTechniques Third EditionVernon JGeberth

The Counterterrorism Handbook Tactics Procedures and TechniquesSecond EditionFrank Bolz Jr Kenneth JDudonis and David PSchulz

Forensic Pathology Second EditionDominick JDi Maio and Vincent JMDi Maio

Interpretation of Bloodstain Evidence at Crime Scenes Second EditionWilliam GEckert and Stuart HJames

Tire Imprint EvidencePeter McDonald

Practical Drug Enforcement Second EditionMichael DLyman

Practical Aspects of Rape Investigation A Multidisciplinary ApproachThird EditionRobert RHazelwood and Ann Wolbert Burgess

The Sexual Exploitation of Children A Practical Guide to AssessmentInvestigation and Intervention Second EditionSeth LGoldstein

Gunshot Wounds Practical Aspects of Firearms Ballistics and ForensicTechniques Second EditionVincent JMDi Maio

Friction Ridge Skin Comparison and Identification of FingerprintsJames FCowger

Footwear Impression Evidence Second EditionWilliam JBodziak

Principles of Kinesic Interview and InterrogationStan Walters

Practical Fire and Arson Investigation Second EditionDavid RRedsicker and John JOrsquoConnor

The Practical Methodology of Forensic Photography Second EditionDavid RRedsicker

Practical Aspects of Interview and Interrogation Second EditionDavid EZulawski and Douglas EWicklander

Investigating Computer CrimeFranklin Clark and Ken Diliberto

Practical Homicide Investigation Checklist and Field GuideVernon JGeberth

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis With an Introduction to Crime SceneReconstruction Second EditionTom Bevel and Ross MGardner

Practical Aspects of Munchausen by Proxy and Munchausen SyndromeInvestigationKathryn Artingstall

Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis An Introduction to Basicand Advanced RidgeologyDavid RAshbaugh

Practical Criminal Investigations in Correctional FacilitiesWilliam RBell

Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force Practical InvestigativeTechniquesDavid EHatch

Sex-Related Homicide and Death Investigation Practical and ClinicalPerspectivesVernon JGeberth

iii

Global Drug Enforcement

Practical Investigative Techniques

Gregory DLee

CRC PRESS

Boca Raton London New York Washington DC

This edition published in the Taylor amp Francis e-Library 2005

ldquoTo purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor amp Francis or Routledgersquos collection ofthousands of eBooks please go to wwweBookstoretandfcoukrdquo

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataLee Gregory D 1953

Global drug enforcement practical investigative techniquesby Gregory DLeep cmmdash(CRC series in practical aspects of criminal and forensic investigations)

Includes bibliographical references and indexISBN 0-8493-1629-4

1 Drug trafficmdashInvestigation 2 Criminal investigation 3 Narcotics Control of 4Narcotics Control ofmdashInternational cooperation I Title II Series

HV8079N3L437 200336325prime977mdashdc22 2003058470

This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources Reprintedmaterial

is quoted with permission and sources are indicated A wide variety of references are listedReasonable

efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information but the author and the publishercannot

assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use

Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic

or mechanical including photocopying microfilming and recording or by any information storageor

retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher

The consent of CRC Press LLC does not extend to copying for general distribution for promotionfor

creating new works or for resale Specific permission must be obtained in writing from CRC PressLLC

for such copying

Direct all inquiries to CRC Press LLC 2000 NW Corporate Blvd Boca Raton Florida 33431

Trademark Notice Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks andare

used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe

Visit the CRC Press Web site at wwwcrcpresscom

copy 2004 by CRC Press LLC

No claim to original US Government works

ISBN 0-203-48898-9 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-58736-7 (Adobe eReader Format)International Standard Book Number 0-8493-1629-4 (Print Edition)

Library of Congress Card Number 2003058470

Dedication

This work is dedicated first of all to my wife Virginiafor her love devotion and encouragement throughout

this endeavor It is also dedicated to the brave menand women of the Drug Enforcement Administration

around the world who sacrifice so muchfor their country and fellow man

Editorrsquos Note

This textbook is part of the ldquoPractical Aspects of Criminal and ForensicInvestigationsrdquo series This series was created by Vernon JGeberth New YorkCity Police Department Lieutenant Commander (Retired) who is an authoreducator and consultant on homicide and forensic investigation This series hasbeen designed to provide contemporary comprehensive and pragmaticinformation to the practitioner involved in criminal and forensic investigation byauthors who are nationally recognized experts in their respective fields

Preface

Unlike other criminal investigation books that only devote a chapter or two to thetopic Global Drug Enforcement Practical Investigative Techniques is devotedentirely to this specialized field of proactive criminal investigation This bookreplicates and greatly expands on many of the topics both new and in-serviceemployees of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) receive in theirtraining

This book serves the needs of criminal justice majors federal agents policeofficers detectives newly assigned to a drug unit police training institutions andmembers of the legal profession who want to expand their knowledge in the fieldIt serves equally well as a reference for many foreign police officials who arecharged with enforcing their countryrsquos drug laws

There are two major parts The first deals in the fundamentals of druginvestigation and includes comprehensive chapters on drug identificationundercover operations and the handling of confidential informants The secondpart is devoted to complex drug cases with chapters on conspiracyinvestigations clandestine laboratories intelligence and money laundering

There is also a glossary of common terms used in drug enforcement as well astwo chapters devoted to the similarities in conducting drug and terrorisminvestigations and the nexus between drugs and terrorism Drug agents knowthat winning the war on drugs contributes significantly to winning the war onterrorism since drug profits fund many terrorism events Throughout the work Iuse the term drug agent which is synonymous with investigator detectiveofficer or any other title used by law enforcement personnel who perform druginvestigations

During my 30-year career in law enforcement I have taught drug enforcementand terrorism topics both to new and in-service federal agents state and localpolice officers foreign police officials and members of the US intelligencecommunity While a special agent with the DEArsquos Office of Training at the FBIAcademy in Quantico VA I traveled to Europe Asia Central and SouthAmerica and the Middle East as a member of an international training team Idiscovered each region I visited had a common thirst for more detailedknowledge on the subject that could not be found in print medium This textbookwas written in part to help provide domestic and international law enforcement

officers with a one-stop reference source on contemporary drug enforcementThe investigative techniques revealed in this textbook should work well in mostnations regardless of their judicial system

ix

Author

Gregory DLee recently retired as a Supervisory Special Agent for the USDepartment of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Throughouthis diverse government career he has conducted and supervised numerousinternational drug investigations and at one time was the resident agent-in-charge of the DEArsquos Karachi Pakistan office While in Pakistan from 1994 to1998 MrLee became involved in several notable terrorism investigations andparticipated in the arrest of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef the mastermind behind the1993 World Trade Center bombings and later testified at his trial As a result ofhis experiences in Pakistan he has lectured for and consulted with variousagencies within the US intelligence community He taught conspiracyinvestigations drug smuggling informant management and many other coursesas a course developerinstructor at the DEArsquos Office of Training located at theFBI Academy in Quantico Virginia He spent a year as a member of one of DEArsquosinternational training teams visiting many foreign countries providing drugenforcement training to foreign law enforcement officials He is the author ofseveral articles on drug enforcement topics for professional publications

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Footwear Impression Evidence Second EditionWilliam JBodziak

Principles of Kinesic Interview and InterrogationStan Walters

Practical Fire and Arson Investigation Second EditionDavid RRedsicker and John JOrsquoConnor

The Practical Methodology of Forensic Photography Second EditionDavid RRedsicker

Practical Aspects of Interview and Interrogation Second EditionDavid EZulawski and Douglas EWicklander

Investigating Computer CrimeFranklin Clark and Ken Diliberto

Practical Homicide Investigation Checklist and Field GuideVernon JGeberth

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis With an Introduction to Crime SceneReconstruction Second EditionTom Bevel and Ross MGardner

Practical Aspects of Munchausen by Proxy and Munchausen SyndromeInvestigationKathryn Artingstall

Quantitative-Qualitative Friction Ridge Analysis An Introduction to Basicand Advanced RidgeologyDavid RAshbaugh

Practical Criminal Investigations in Correctional FacilitiesWilliam RBell

Officer-Involved Shootings and Use of Force Practical InvestigativeTechniquesDavid EHatch

Sex-Related Homicide and Death Investigation Practical and ClinicalPerspectivesVernon JGeberth

iii

Global Drug Enforcement

Practical Investigative Techniques

Gregory DLee

CRC PRESS

Boca Raton London New York Washington DC

This edition published in the Taylor amp Francis e-Library 2005

ldquoTo purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor amp Francis or Routledgersquos collection ofthousands of eBooks please go to wwweBookstoretandfcoukrdquo

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataLee Gregory D 1953

Global drug enforcement practical investigative techniquesby Gregory DLeep cmmdash(CRC series in practical aspects of criminal and forensic investigations)

Includes bibliographical references and indexISBN 0-8493-1629-4

1 Drug trafficmdashInvestigation 2 Criminal investigation 3 Narcotics Control of 4Narcotics Control ofmdashInternational cooperation I Title II Series

HV8079N3L437 200336325prime977mdashdc22 2003058470

This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources Reprintedmaterial

is quoted with permission and sources are indicated A wide variety of references are listedReasonable

efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information but the author and the publishercannot

assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use

Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic

or mechanical including photocopying microfilming and recording or by any information storageor

retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher

The consent of CRC Press LLC does not extend to copying for general distribution for promotionfor

creating new works or for resale Specific permission must be obtained in writing from CRC PressLLC

for such copying

Direct all inquiries to CRC Press LLC 2000 NW Corporate Blvd Boca Raton Florida 33431

Trademark Notice Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks andare

used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe

Visit the CRC Press Web site at wwwcrcpresscom

copy 2004 by CRC Press LLC

No claim to original US Government works

ISBN 0-203-48898-9 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-58736-7 (Adobe eReader Format)International Standard Book Number 0-8493-1629-4 (Print Edition)

Library of Congress Card Number 2003058470

Dedication

This work is dedicated first of all to my wife Virginiafor her love devotion and encouragement throughout

this endeavor It is also dedicated to the brave menand women of the Drug Enforcement Administration

around the world who sacrifice so muchfor their country and fellow man

Editorrsquos Note

This textbook is part of the ldquoPractical Aspects of Criminal and ForensicInvestigationsrdquo series This series was created by Vernon JGeberth New YorkCity Police Department Lieutenant Commander (Retired) who is an authoreducator and consultant on homicide and forensic investigation This series hasbeen designed to provide contemporary comprehensive and pragmaticinformation to the practitioner involved in criminal and forensic investigation byauthors who are nationally recognized experts in their respective fields

Preface

Unlike other criminal investigation books that only devote a chapter or two to thetopic Global Drug Enforcement Practical Investigative Techniques is devotedentirely to this specialized field of proactive criminal investigation This bookreplicates and greatly expands on many of the topics both new and in-serviceemployees of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) receive in theirtraining

This book serves the needs of criminal justice majors federal agents policeofficers detectives newly assigned to a drug unit police training institutions andmembers of the legal profession who want to expand their knowledge in the fieldIt serves equally well as a reference for many foreign police officials who arecharged with enforcing their countryrsquos drug laws

There are two major parts The first deals in the fundamentals of druginvestigation and includes comprehensive chapters on drug identificationundercover operations and the handling of confidential informants The secondpart is devoted to complex drug cases with chapters on conspiracyinvestigations clandestine laboratories intelligence and money laundering

There is also a glossary of common terms used in drug enforcement as well astwo chapters devoted to the similarities in conducting drug and terrorisminvestigations and the nexus between drugs and terrorism Drug agents knowthat winning the war on drugs contributes significantly to winning the war onterrorism since drug profits fund many terrorism events Throughout the work Iuse the term drug agent which is synonymous with investigator detectiveofficer or any other title used by law enforcement personnel who perform druginvestigations

During my 30-year career in law enforcement I have taught drug enforcementand terrorism topics both to new and in-service federal agents state and localpolice officers foreign police officials and members of the US intelligencecommunity While a special agent with the DEArsquos Office of Training at the FBIAcademy in Quantico VA I traveled to Europe Asia Central and SouthAmerica and the Middle East as a member of an international training team Idiscovered each region I visited had a common thirst for more detailedknowledge on the subject that could not be found in print medium This textbookwas written in part to help provide domestic and international law enforcement

officers with a one-stop reference source on contemporary drug enforcementThe investigative techniques revealed in this textbook should work well in mostnations regardless of their judicial system

ix

Author

Gregory DLee recently retired as a Supervisory Special Agent for the USDepartment of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Throughouthis diverse government career he has conducted and supervised numerousinternational drug investigations and at one time was the resident agent-in-charge of the DEArsquos Karachi Pakistan office While in Pakistan from 1994 to1998 MrLee became involved in several notable terrorism investigations andparticipated in the arrest of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef the mastermind behind the1993 World Trade Center bombings and later testified at his trial As a result ofhis experiences in Pakistan he has lectured for and consulted with variousagencies within the US intelligence community He taught conspiracyinvestigations drug smuggling informant management and many other coursesas a course developerinstructor at the DEArsquos Office of Training located at theFBI Academy in Quantico Virginia He spent a year as a member of one of DEArsquosinternational training teams visiting many foreign countries providing drugenforcement training to foreign law enforcement officials He is the author ofseveral articles on drug enforcement topics for professional publications

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Global Drug Enforcement

Practical Investigative Techniques

Gregory DLee

CRC PRESS

Boca Raton London New York Washington DC

This edition published in the Taylor amp Francis e-Library 2005

ldquoTo purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor amp Francis or Routledgersquos collection ofthousands of eBooks please go to wwweBookstoretandfcoukrdquo

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataLee Gregory D 1953

Global drug enforcement practical investigative techniquesby Gregory DLeep cmmdash(CRC series in practical aspects of criminal and forensic investigations)

Includes bibliographical references and indexISBN 0-8493-1629-4

1 Drug trafficmdashInvestigation 2 Criminal investigation 3 Narcotics Control of 4Narcotics Control ofmdashInternational cooperation I Title II Series

HV8079N3L437 200336325prime977mdashdc22 2003058470

This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources Reprintedmaterial

is quoted with permission and sources are indicated A wide variety of references are listedReasonable

efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information but the author and the publishercannot

assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use

Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic

or mechanical including photocopying microfilming and recording or by any information storageor

retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher

The consent of CRC Press LLC does not extend to copying for general distribution for promotionfor

creating new works or for resale Specific permission must be obtained in writing from CRC PressLLC

for such copying

Direct all inquiries to CRC Press LLC 2000 NW Corporate Blvd Boca Raton Florida 33431

Trademark Notice Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks andare

used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe

Visit the CRC Press Web site at wwwcrcpresscom

copy 2004 by CRC Press LLC

No claim to original US Government works

ISBN 0-203-48898-9 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-58736-7 (Adobe eReader Format)International Standard Book Number 0-8493-1629-4 (Print Edition)

Library of Congress Card Number 2003058470

Dedication

This work is dedicated first of all to my wife Virginiafor her love devotion and encouragement throughout

this endeavor It is also dedicated to the brave menand women of the Drug Enforcement Administration

around the world who sacrifice so muchfor their country and fellow man

Editorrsquos Note

This textbook is part of the ldquoPractical Aspects of Criminal and ForensicInvestigationsrdquo series This series was created by Vernon JGeberth New YorkCity Police Department Lieutenant Commander (Retired) who is an authoreducator and consultant on homicide and forensic investigation This series hasbeen designed to provide contemporary comprehensive and pragmaticinformation to the practitioner involved in criminal and forensic investigation byauthors who are nationally recognized experts in their respective fields

Preface

Unlike other criminal investigation books that only devote a chapter or two to thetopic Global Drug Enforcement Practical Investigative Techniques is devotedentirely to this specialized field of proactive criminal investigation This bookreplicates and greatly expands on many of the topics both new and in-serviceemployees of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) receive in theirtraining

This book serves the needs of criminal justice majors federal agents policeofficers detectives newly assigned to a drug unit police training institutions andmembers of the legal profession who want to expand their knowledge in the fieldIt serves equally well as a reference for many foreign police officials who arecharged with enforcing their countryrsquos drug laws

There are two major parts The first deals in the fundamentals of druginvestigation and includes comprehensive chapters on drug identificationundercover operations and the handling of confidential informants The secondpart is devoted to complex drug cases with chapters on conspiracyinvestigations clandestine laboratories intelligence and money laundering

There is also a glossary of common terms used in drug enforcement as well astwo chapters devoted to the similarities in conducting drug and terrorisminvestigations and the nexus between drugs and terrorism Drug agents knowthat winning the war on drugs contributes significantly to winning the war onterrorism since drug profits fund many terrorism events Throughout the work Iuse the term drug agent which is synonymous with investigator detectiveofficer or any other title used by law enforcement personnel who perform druginvestigations

During my 30-year career in law enforcement I have taught drug enforcementand terrorism topics both to new and in-service federal agents state and localpolice officers foreign police officials and members of the US intelligencecommunity While a special agent with the DEArsquos Office of Training at the FBIAcademy in Quantico VA I traveled to Europe Asia Central and SouthAmerica and the Middle East as a member of an international training team Idiscovered each region I visited had a common thirst for more detailedknowledge on the subject that could not be found in print medium This textbookwas written in part to help provide domestic and international law enforcement

officers with a one-stop reference source on contemporary drug enforcementThe investigative techniques revealed in this textbook should work well in mostnations regardless of their judicial system

ix

Author

Gregory DLee recently retired as a Supervisory Special Agent for the USDepartment of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Throughouthis diverse government career he has conducted and supervised numerousinternational drug investigations and at one time was the resident agent-in-charge of the DEArsquos Karachi Pakistan office While in Pakistan from 1994 to1998 MrLee became involved in several notable terrorism investigations andparticipated in the arrest of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef the mastermind behind the1993 World Trade Center bombings and later testified at his trial As a result ofhis experiences in Pakistan he has lectured for and consulted with variousagencies within the US intelligence community He taught conspiracyinvestigations drug smuggling informant management and many other coursesas a course developerinstructor at the DEArsquos Office of Training located at theFBI Academy in Quantico Virginia He spent a year as a member of one of DEArsquosinternational training teams visiting many foreign countries providing drugenforcement training to foreign law enforcement officials He is the author ofseveral articles on drug enforcement topics for professional publications

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

This edition published in the Taylor amp Francis e-Library 2005

ldquoTo purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor amp Francis or Routledgersquos collection ofthousands of eBooks please go to wwweBookstoretandfcoukrdquo

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataLee Gregory D 1953

Global drug enforcement practical investigative techniquesby Gregory DLeep cmmdash(CRC series in practical aspects of criminal and forensic investigations)

Includes bibliographical references and indexISBN 0-8493-1629-4

1 Drug trafficmdashInvestigation 2 Criminal investigation 3 Narcotics Control of 4Narcotics Control ofmdashInternational cooperation I Title II Series

HV8079N3L437 200336325prime977mdashdc22 2003058470

This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources Reprintedmaterial

is quoted with permission and sources are indicated A wide variety of references are listedReasonable

efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information but the author and the publishercannot

assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or for the consequences of their use

Neither this book nor any part may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic

or mechanical including photocopying microfilming and recording or by any information storageor

retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher

The consent of CRC Press LLC does not extend to copying for general distribution for promotionfor

creating new works or for resale Specific permission must be obtained in writing from CRC PressLLC

for such copying

Direct all inquiries to CRC Press LLC 2000 NW Corporate Blvd Boca Raton Florida 33431

Trademark Notice Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks andare

used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe

Visit the CRC Press Web site at wwwcrcpresscom

copy 2004 by CRC Press LLC

No claim to original US Government works

ISBN 0-203-48898-9 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-58736-7 (Adobe eReader Format)International Standard Book Number 0-8493-1629-4 (Print Edition)

Library of Congress Card Number 2003058470

Dedication

This work is dedicated first of all to my wife Virginiafor her love devotion and encouragement throughout

this endeavor It is also dedicated to the brave menand women of the Drug Enforcement Administration

around the world who sacrifice so muchfor their country and fellow man

Editorrsquos Note

This textbook is part of the ldquoPractical Aspects of Criminal and ForensicInvestigationsrdquo series This series was created by Vernon JGeberth New YorkCity Police Department Lieutenant Commander (Retired) who is an authoreducator and consultant on homicide and forensic investigation This series hasbeen designed to provide contemporary comprehensive and pragmaticinformation to the practitioner involved in criminal and forensic investigation byauthors who are nationally recognized experts in their respective fields

Preface

Unlike other criminal investigation books that only devote a chapter or two to thetopic Global Drug Enforcement Practical Investigative Techniques is devotedentirely to this specialized field of proactive criminal investigation This bookreplicates and greatly expands on many of the topics both new and in-serviceemployees of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) receive in theirtraining

This book serves the needs of criminal justice majors federal agents policeofficers detectives newly assigned to a drug unit police training institutions andmembers of the legal profession who want to expand their knowledge in the fieldIt serves equally well as a reference for many foreign police officials who arecharged with enforcing their countryrsquos drug laws

There are two major parts The first deals in the fundamentals of druginvestigation and includes comprehensive chapters on drug identificationundercover operations and the handling of confidential informants The secondpart is devoted to complex drug cases with chapters on conspiracyinvestigations clandestine laboratories intelligence and money laundering

There is also a glossary of common terms used in drug enforcement as well astwo chapters devoted to the similarities in conducting drug and terrorisminvestigations and the nexus between drugs and terrorism Drug agents knowthat winning the war on drugs contributes significantly to winning the war onterrorism since drug profits fund many terrorism events Throughout the work Iuse the term drug agent which is synonymous with investigator detectiveofficer or any other title used by law enforcement personnel who perform druginvestigations

During my 30-year career in law enforcement I have taught drug enforcementand terrorism topics both to new and in-service federal agents state and localpolice officers foreign police officials and members of the US intelligencecommunity While a special agent with the DEArsquos Office of Training at the FBIAcademy in Quantico VA I traveled to Europe Asia Central and SouthAmerica and the Middle East as a member of an international training team Idiscovered each region I visited had a common thirst for more detailedknowledge on the subject that could not be found in print medium This textbookwas written in part to help provide domestic and international law enforcement

officers with a one-stop reference source on contemporary drug enforcementThe investigative techniques revealed in this textbook should work well in mostnations regardless of their judicial system

ix

Author

Gregory DLee recently retired as a Supervisory Special Agent for the USDepartment of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Throughouthis diverse government career he has conducted and supervised numerousinternational drug investigations and at one time was the resident agent-in-charge of the DEArsquos Karachi Pakistan office While in Pakistan from 1994 to1998 MrLee became involved in several notable terrorism investigations andparticipated in the arrest of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef the mastermind behind the1993 World Trade Center bombings and later testified at his trial As a result ofhis experiences in Pakistan he has lectured for and consulted with variousagencies within the US intelligence community He taught conspiracyinvestigations drug smuggling informant management and many other coursesas a course developerinstructor at the DEArsquos Office of Training located at theFBI Academy in Quantico Virginia He spent a year as a member of one of DEArsquosinternational training teams visiting many foreign countries providing drugenforcement training to foreign law enforcement officials He is the author ofseveral articles on drug enforcement topics for professional publications

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Dedication

This work is dedicated first of all to my wife Virginiafor her love devotion and encouragement throughout

this endeavor It is also dedicated to the brave menand women of the Drug Enforcement Administration

around the world who sacrifice so muchfor their country and fellow man

Editorrsquos Note

This textbook is part of the ldquoPractical Aspects of Criminal and ForensicInvestigationsrdquo series This series was created by Vernon JGeberth New YorkCity Police Department Lieutenant Commander (Retired) who is an authoreducator and consultant on homicide and forensic investigation This series hasbeen designed to provide contemporary comprehensive and pragmaticinformation to the practitioner involved in criminal and forensic investigation byauthors who are nationally recognized experts in their respective fields

Preface

Unlike other criminal investigation books that only devote a chapter or two to thetopic Global Drug Enforcement Practical Investigative Techniques is devotedentirely to this specialized field of proactive criminal investigation This bookreplicates and greatly expands on many of the topics both new and in-serviceemployees of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) receive in theirtraining

This book serves the needs of criminal justice majors federal agents policeofficers detectives newly assigned to a drug unit police training institutions andmembers of the legal profession who want to expand their knowledge in the fieldIt serves equally well as a reference for many foreign police officials who arecharged with enforcing their countryrsquos drug laws

There are two major parts The first deals in the fundamentals of druginvestigation and includes comprehensive chapters on drug identificationundercover operations and the handling of confidential informants The secondpart is devoted to complex drug cases with chapters on conspiracyinvestigations clandestine laboratories intelligence and money laundering

There is also a glossary of common terms used in drug enforcement as well astwo chapters devoted to the similarities in conducting drug and terrorisminvestigations and the nexus between drugs and terrorism Drug agents knowthat winning the war on drugs contributes significantly to winning the war onterrorism since drug profits fund many terrorism events Throughout the work Iuse the term drug agent which is synonymous with investigator detectiveofficer or any other title used by law enforcement personnel who perform druginvestigations

During my 30-year career in law enforcement I have taught drug enforcementand terrorism topics both to new and in-service federal agents state and localpolice officers foreign police officials and members of the US intelligencecommunity While a special agent with the DEArsquos Office of Training at the FBIAcademy in Quantico VA I traveled to Europe Asia Central and SouthAmerica and the Middle East as a member of an international training team Idiscovered each region I visited had a common thirst for more detailedknowledge on the subject that could not be found in print medium This textbookwas written in part to help provide domestic and international law enforcement

officers with a one-stop reference source on contemporary drug enforcementThe investigative techniques revealed in this textbook should work well in mostnations regardless of their judicial system

ix

Author

Gregory DLee recently retired as a Supervisory Special Agent for the USDepartment of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Throughouthis diverse government career he has conducted and supervised numerousinternational drug investigations and at one time was the resident agent-in-charge of the DEArsquos Karachi Pakistan office While in Pakistan from 1994 to1998 MrLee became involved in several notable terrorism investigations andparticipated in the arrest of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef the mastermind behind the1993 World Trade Center bombings and later testified at his trial As a result ofhis experiences in Pakistan he has lectured for and consulted with variousagencies within the US intelligence community He taught conspiracyinvestigations drug smuggling informant management and many other coursesas a course developerinstructor at the DEArsquos Office of Training located at theFBI Academy in Quantico Virginia He spent a year as a member of one of DEArsquosinternational training teams visiting many foreign countries providing drugenforcement training to foreign law enforcement officials He is the author ofseveral articles on drug enforcement topics for professional publications

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Editorrsquos Note

This textbook is part of the ldquoPractical Aspects of Criminal and ForensicInvestigationsrdquo series This series was created by Vernon JGeberth New YorkCity Police Department Lieutenant Commander (Retired) who is an authoreducator and consultant on homicide and forensic investigation This series hasbeen designed to provide contemporary comprehensive and pragmaticinformation to the practitioner involved in criminal and forensic investigation byauthors who are nationally recognized experts in their respective fields

Preface

Unlike other criminal investigation books that only devote a chapter or two to thetopic Global Drug Enforcement Practical Investigative Techniques is devotedentirely to this specialized field of proactive criminal investigation This bookreplicates and greatly expands on many of the topics both new and in-serviceemployees of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) receive in theirtraining

This book serves the needs of criminal justice majors federal agents policeofficers detectives newly assigned to a drug unit police training institutions andmembers of the legal profession who want to expand their knowledge in the fieldIt serves equally well as a reference for many foreign police officials who arecharged with enforcing their countryrsquos drug laws

There are two major parts The first deals in the fundamentals of druginvestigation and includes comprehensive chapters on drug identificationundercover operations and the handling of confidential informants The secondpart is devoted to complex drug cases with chapters on conspiracyinvestigations clandestine laboratories intelligence and money laundering

There is also a glossary of common terms used in drug enforcement as well astwo chapters devoted to the similarities in conducting drug and terrorisminvestigations and the nexus between drugs and terrorism Drug agents knowthat winning the war on drugs contributes significantly to winning the war onterrorism since drug profits fund many terrorism events Throughout the work Iuse the term drug agent which is synonymous with investigator detectiveofficer or any other title used by law enforcement personnel who perform druginvestigations

During my 30-year career in law enforcement I have taught drug enforcementand terrorism topics both to new and in-service federal agents state and localpolice officers foreign police officials and members of the US intelligencecommunity While a special agent with the DEArsquos Office of Training at the FBIAcademy in Quantico VA I traveled to Europe Asia Central and SouthAmerica and the Middle East as a member of an international training team Idiscovered each region I visited had a common thirst for more detailedknowledge on the subject that could not be found in print medium This textbookwas written in part to help provide domestic and international law enforcement

officers with a one-stop reference source on contemporary drug enforcementThe investigative techniques revealed in this textbook should work well in mostnations regardless of their judicial system

ix

Author

Gregory DLee recently retired as a Supervisory Special Agent for the USDepartment of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Throughouthis diverse government career he has conducted and supervised numerousinternational drug investigations and at one time was the resident agent-in-charge of the DEArsquos Karachi Pakistan office While in Pakistan from 1994 to1998 MrLee became involved in several notable terrorism investigations andparticipated in the arrest of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef the mastermind behind the1993 World Trade Center bombings and later testified at his trial As a result ofhis experiences in Pakistan he has lectured for and consulted with variousagencies within the US intelligence community He taught conspiracyinvestigations drug smuggling informant management and many other coursesas a course developerinstructor at the DEArsquos Office of Training located at theFBI Academy in Quantico Virginia He spent a year as a member of one of DEArsquosinternational training teams visiting many foreign countries providing drugenforcement training to foreign law enforcement officials He is the author ofseveral articles on drug enforcement topics for professional publications

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Preface

Unlike other criminal investigation books that only devote a chapter or two to thetopic Global Drug Enforcement Practical Investigative Techniques is devotedentirely to this specialized field of proactive criminal investigation This bookreplicates and greatly expands on many of the topics both new and in-serviceemployees of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) receive in theirtraining

This book serves the needs of criminal justice majors federal agents policeofficers detectives newly assigned to a drug unit police training institutions andmembers of the legal profession who want to expand their knowledge in the fieldIt serves equally well as a reference for many foreign police officials who arecharged with enforcing their countryrsquos drug laws

There are two major parts The first deals in the fundamentals of druginvestigation and includes comprehensive chapters on drug identificationundercover operations and the handling of confidential informants The secondpart is devoted to complex drug cases with chapters on conspiracyinvestigations clandestine laboratories intelligence and money laundering

There is also a glossary of common terms used in drug enforcement as well astwo chapters devoted to the similarities in conducting drug and terrorisminvestigations and the nexus between drugs and terrorism Drug agents knowthat winning the war on drugs contributes significantly to winning the war onterrorism since drug profits fund many terrorism events Throughout the work Iuse the term drug agent which is synonymous with investigator detectiveofficer or any other title used by law enforcement personnel who perform druginvestigations

During my 30-year career in law enforcement I have taught drug enforcementand terrorism topics both to new and in-service federal agents state and localpolice officers foreign police officials and members of the US intelligencecommunity While a special agent with the DEArsquos Office of Training at the FBIAcademy in Quantico VA I traveled to Europe Asia Central and SouthAmerica and the Middle East as a member of an international training team Idiscovered each region I visited had a common thirst for more detailedknowledge on the subject that could not be found in print medium This textbookwas written in part to help provide domestic and international law enforcement

officers with a one-stop reference source on contemporary drug enforcementThe investigative techniques revealed in this textbook should work well in mostnations regardless of their judicial system

ix

Author

Gregory DLee recently retired as a Supervisory Special Agent for the USDepartment of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Throughouthis diverse government career he has conducted and supervised numerousinternational drug investigations and at one time was the resident agent-in-charge of the DEArsquos Karachi Pakistan office While in Pakistan from 1994 to1998 MrLee became involved in several notable terrorism investigations andparticipated in the arrest of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef the mastermind behind the1993 World Trade Center bombings and later testified at his trial As a result ofhis experiences in Pakistan he has lectured for and consulted with variousagencies within the US intelligence community He taught conspiracyinvestigations drug smuggling informant management and many other coursesas a course developerinstructor at the DEArsquos Office of Training located at theFBI Academy in Quantico Virginia He spent a year as a member of one of DEArsquosinternational training teams visiting many foreign countries providing drugenforcement training to foreign law enforcement officials He is the author ofseveral articles on drug enforcement topics for professional publications

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

officers with a one-stop reference source on contemporary drug enforcementThe investigative techniques revealed in this textbook should work well in mostnations regardless of their judicial system

ix

Author

Gregory DLee recently retired as a Supervisory Special Agent for the USDepartment of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Throughouthis diverse government career he has conducted and supervised numerousinternational drug investigations and at one time was the resident agent-in-charge of the DEArsquos Karachi Pakistan office While in Pakistan from 1994 to1998 MrLee became involved in several notable terrorism investigations andparticipated in the arrest of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef the mastermind behind the1993 World Trade Center bombings and later testified at his trial As a result ofhis experiences in Pakistan he has lectured for and consulted with variousagencies within the US intelligence community He taught conspiracyinvestigations drug smuggling informant management and many other coursesas a course developerinstructor at the DEArsquos Office of Training located at theFBI Academy in Quantico Virginia He spent a year as a member of one of DEArsquosinternational training teams visiting many foreign countries providing drugenforcement training to foreign law enforcement officials He is the author ofseveral articles on drug enforcement topics for professional publications

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Author

Gregory DLee recently retired as a Supervisory Special Agent for the USDepartment of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Throughouthis diverse government career he has conducted and supervised numerousinternational drug investigations and at one time was the resident agent-in-charge of the DEArsquos Karachi Pakistan office While in Pakistan from 1994 to1998 MrLee became involved in several notable terrorism investigations andparticipated in the arrest of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef the mastermind behind the1993 World Trade Center bombings and later testified at his trial As a result ofhis experiences in Pakistan he has lectured for and consulted with variousagencies within the US intelligence community He taught conspiracyinvestigations drug smuggling informant management and many other coursesas a course developerinstructor at the DEArsquos Office of Training located at theFBI Academy in Quantico Virginia He spent a year as a member of one of DEArsquosinternational training teams visiting many foreign countries providing drugenforcement training to foreign law enforcement officials He is the author ofseveral articles on drug enforcement topics for professional publications

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

including the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin and The Police Chief Lee alsoserved as a counselor for the 160th session of the FBI National Academy in 1990Prior to working for the DEA he was a police officer for the cities of Salinas andPasadena California He has a combination of over 30 years of active duty andUS Army Reserve service and is a Chief Warrant Officer 5Special Agent withthe US Army Criminal Investigation Command better known as CID As anarmy reservist Mr Lee is an associate instructor with the US Army MilitaryPolice School as a subject matter expert in terrorism and counter-drug operationsLee holds a master of public administration in justice administration degree fromGolden Gate University San Francisco and a bachelor of science in sociologywith a minor in vocational education from the University of Maryland Whileattending graduate school he taught a criminal investigation course for MontereyPeninsula College Monterey California

xi

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Acknowledgments

I readily acknowledge that much of the information in this text stems from mytraining and experiences as a supervisory special agent with the worldrsquos premierdrug law enforcement agency the Drug Enforcement Administration Thanks arealso in order to the Military Police Corps and the US Army CriminalInvestigation Command (CID) I investigated my first drug case in 1973 as anactive duty military police investigator As an army reservist I am proud to havebeen associated with this outstanding organization for over 30 years and amgrateful for the opportunity to be an associate instructor for the US ArmyMilitary Police School

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Contents

Section I THE FUNDAMENTALS 1

1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement 2

International in Scope 2

Interpersonal Relationships 2

Finance and Banking 3

Psychology 3

Communication Skills 3

Foreign Relations 3

Other Aspects 4

Summary 4

2 Source Countries 5

Colombia 5

Bolivia and Peru 7

Mexico 7

The Golden Triangle 11

The Golden Crescent 11

Western Europe 13

Canada 13

United States 13

Summary 13

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition 15

Drug Scheduling 15

Narcotic Depressants 16

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Heroin and Opiates 17

History of Heroin in the United States 18

Heroin Production 20

How Heroin Is Used 21

Physical Effects of Heroin 21

Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms 23

Heroin User Recognition 24

Cocaine 30

History of Cocaine Abuse 31

Harvest and Yield 32

Cocaine Extraction 33

Cocaine Abuse 33

Cocaine Abuse in the Workplace 34

Cocainersquos Physical Side Effects 36

Pharmacological Effects and Symptoms of Cocaine Abuse 37

Crack Cocaine 38

Marijuana 41

Marijuana Source Countries 44

Indoor Growing 46

Hashish 47

Effects of Cannabis 48

Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (MDMA) 48

Drug Recognition 52

Ecstasy Source Countries 55

Rave Parties 55

Gamma Hydroxybutyrate (GHB) 56

Gamma Butyrolactone (GBL) 57

Ketamine 57

Methamphetamine 58

xiv

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) 59

Physical Reaction 60

LSD Traffickers 60

Methylphenidate (Ritalinreg) 60

Phencyclidine (PCP) 61

Steroids 62

Other Drugs of Abuse 63

Summary 63

References 65

4 Confidential Informants 67

Purpose of Informants 68

Motivational Factors 68

Walk-InCall-In Informants 69

Fear 69

Revenge and Jealousy 70

Repentance 71

Altruism 71

Mercenaries 71

Egotism 71

James Bond Syndrome 72

The Wannabe 73

Perversely Motivated Informants 73

Restricted-Use Informants 74

Developing Confidential Informants 74

Supervisorrsquos Role in Informant Management 75

Protecting the Informantrsquos Identity 75

Avoid Making the Informant a Percipient Witness 76

Report-Writing Techniques 76

Using the Informant to Introduce Undercover Agents 76

xv

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Wall-Off Method 77

Camouflage Techniques 77

Other Considerations 78

The Informant File 79

Informant Debriefings 80

Agent-Informant Contact Procedures 80

Informant Payments 81

How to Make a Controlled Purchase Using an Informant 82

Thoroughly Debrief the Informant 83

Check Law Enforcement Indices 83

Monitor Phone Calls and Personal Visits between theInformant and the Suspect

84

Provide the Informant with Official Funds That Have theSerial Numbers Recorded

85

Wire the Informant for Sound 85

Designate Verbal and Visual Distress and Arrest Signals 85

Search the Informant and His Vehicle 86

Surveillance Team to Follow the Informant 86

Informant Is to Go to a Designated Cold Spot after theMeeting

86

Instruct the Informant to Immediately Return to the Office 87

The Seven Steps to Successful Informant Management 87

Keys to Success in Informant Management 88

Control 88

Honesty 88

Fairness and Respect 88

Clarity in Direction 88

Provide Training for the Informant 89

Summary 89

5 Sources of Information 90

xvi

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Airline Ticket Agents 91

Travel Agents 91

Car Rental Employees 91

Hotel Registration Clerks 92

Utility Companies 92

Telephone Service Providers 92

Real Estate Agents 93

Internet Service Providers 93

Banking Institutions 93

Taxi Drivers 94

County Assessorrsquos Office 94

Credit Bureaus 94

Express Shipping Companies 94

Yacht Club Employees 95

Boat and Yacht Sales Personnel 95

Flight Service Station Employees 95

Private Airplane Sales Personnel 95

Conclusion 95

Summary 96

6 Surveillance and Counter-Surveillance 97

Definition and Purpose of Surveillance 97

Types of Surveillance 98

Mobile 98

Stationary 98

Electronic 98

Objectives of Surveillance 98

Identify the Main Target of the Investigation 99

Identify Other Members of the Drug Organization 99

Locate Stash Locations 99

xvii

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Obtain Probable Cause for a Search Warrant 100

Locate Wanted Persons 100

Verify the Reliability of an Informant 101

Obtain Detailed Information 101

Prevent the Commission of a Crime or Arrest a Suspect in theAct

102

Obtain Information for Later Use during an Interrogation 102

Develop Clues and Information from Other Sources 102

Qualities of a Surveillance Agent 102

Normal Appearance 103

Act as Naturally as Possible 103

Alert 104

Resourceful 104

Observant 104

Patience and Stamina 105

Categories of Surveillance 105

Intelligence Gathering 105

Prebuy Surveillance 105

Postbuy Surveillance 106

Reconnaissance 106

Physical Survey 106

Other Considerations 78

Rules of Surveillance 108

Fundamentals of Surveillance 108

Using Air Support during Surveillance 109

Surveillance Notes and Reports 110

Counter-Surveillance 111

Counter-Surveillance Driving 112

Counter-Surveillance Equipment 113

Summary 114

xviii

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

7 Undercover Operations 115

Definition of Undercover 115

Purpose of Undercover Operations 115

Qualifications for Undercover Work 117

Undercover Agentsrsquo Traits 118

Intelligence 118

Self-Confidence 118

Courage 119

Good Judgment 120

Initiative and Resourcefulness 121

Good Memory 121

Good Communication Skills 122

Proper Experience for the Role 122

Good Common Sense 122

Necessary Preparations for Undercover Assignments 123

The Cover Story 124

Undercover Identity 125

Undercover Vehicles 127

Undercover Documents and Credit Cards 128

Planning the Undercover Operation 128

The Written Operational Plan 130

The Operational Briefing 137

The Undercover Meeting 138

Undercover Negotiations 139

Drug Samples 140

Use of Controlled Substances by Undercover Agents 141

Confidence Buys or Buy-Walk Operations 142

Buy-Bust Operations 144

Postbuy Debriefings 145

xix

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Proven Undercover Techniques and Strategies mdash PlayingMind Games with the Suspect

145

The Seven Critical Factors Leading to Undercover Violence 148

Poor Operational Planning 148

Making the Arrest 149

Managing the Flash Roll 149

Poor Communication 149

Complacency 150

Inaccessibility of Undercover Weapons 150

Making Inaccurate Conclusions from Accurate Observations 150

Summary 151

8 Flash Roll Management 152

Surprise Flashes vs Scheduled Flashes 152

Creating a Controlled Environment 153

Using a Second Undercover Agent 153

Use of an Informant to Display the Money 154

Seeing Drugs before Displaying the Money 155

Flash Roll Preparation 155

Summary 156

9 Evidence Collection and Preservation 157

Categories of Evidence 157

Collection of Evidence 157

Systematic Searching 157

Drug Detection Dogs 158

Drug Evidence 158

Handling Drug Evidence 159

Chain of Custody 159

Bulk Evidence 160

Field Testing of Drug Evidence 160

Nondrug Evidence 161

xx

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Fingerprints 162

Summary 163

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for Drug Offenses 164

Background 164

Federal Parole Abolished 165

Longer Prison Sentences 165

The Sentencing Table 165

Drug Offense Sentencing Tables 166

Departures from the Guidelines 167

Court Ordered Departures 168

Criticism of the Guidelines 168

Evolutionary Process 169

Summary 169

References 169

11 Raid Planning and Execution 171

Raid Planning 172

Types of Raids 172

Site Surveys 172

Raid Briefing 173

Equipment 174

Raid Execution 174

Elements of a Successful Raid 174

Tactics 174

Physical Fitness 175

Mental Conditioning 175

Equipment 174

Firearms 175

Training 176

Consciousness Modes 176

xxi

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

White 176

Yellow 176

Orange 176

Red 177

Escalation of Force 177

British SAS Six-Man Snake Method 178

Summary 179

Section COMPLEX DRUG INVESTIGATIONS 181

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations 182

Definition of Conspiracy 183

Punishment for Conspiracy 184

Elements of Proof 184

Plurality Requirement 185

The Agreement 186

Overt Acts 186

Pinkerton Theory of Vicarious Liability 186

Withdrawal from the Conspiracy 187

Termination of the Conspiracy 188

Venue 188

Duration of the Conspiracy 189

Statute of Limitations 189

Types of Conspiracies 189

Ongoing Conspiracies 189

Historical Conspiracies 189

Chain Conspiracies 191

Wheel Conspiracies 192

Combination Wheel and Chain Conspiracies 192

Advantages of Conspiracy Investigations 193

xxii

II

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Simplicity 193

Crime Prevention 194

Leverage 194

Exception to the Hearsay Rule of Evidence 194

Asset Forfeiture 195

Disadvantages of Conspiracy Investigations 195

Conspiracy Investigations Can Be Protracted 195

Verification and Corroboration 196

No-Dope Conspiracies 196

Conspiracy Case Development 196

Confidential Informants 67

Undercover Agents 198

Asset Seizure Inquiries 198

Fixed and Mobile Surveillance 199

Pen Registers 200

Telephone Wiretaps and Technical Listening Devices 200

The Grand Jury 201

Coordination with Other Law Enforcement Agencies 202

Analytical Investigative SupportToll Analysis 202

Use of Public Private and Government Records 203

Polygraph Examinations 203

Mail Covers 205

Trash Runs 205

Photo Spreads 206

Technical Listening Equipment 206

Execution of Search Warrants for Documents 206

Coordination with the Prosecutor 207

Crimes Committed by Conspirators 208

Sealed Indictments 209

xxiii

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Arrest Warrants 209

Grand Jury Subpoenas 209

Immunity 210

Multiple Venues 210

Asset Seizures 210

Material Witness Warrants 211

Defense Attorney Trial Tactics 211

Defendant Withdrew from the Conspiracy 211

Outrageous Government Conduct 212

Taking the Fall for Others 212

Entrapment 213

Mistaken Identity 213

Fabrication of Exculpatory Evidence 213

Placing the Agent on Trial 215

Defendant Was Involved in an Entirely Different Conspiracy 216

The Blind Mule 216

Summary 216

References 217

13 Clandestine Laboratories 218

Specialty within Drug Law Enforcement 219

Booby-Traps 219

Countering Booby-Traps 219

Recognizing Clan Labs 220

Chemicals and Products Commonly Found at Clan Lab Sites 220

Other Clan Lab Indicators 222

Operational Laboratories 222

Summary 223

14 Transportation Hub Interdiction Operations 224

Courier Profiling 224

xxiv

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Approaching the Passenger 226

Other Considerations 78

Hotel Profiling 228

Summary 228

15 Smuggling and Smugglers 230

Definition of Smuggling 230

Agencies Conducting Smuggling Investigations 230

Drug Enforcement Administration 230

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement 231

US Border Patrol 233

Federal Aviation Administration 233

US Coast Guard 234

Federal Bureau of Investigation 234

Military Joint Task Forces (JTFs) 234

US Postal Service 235

Methods of Smuggling 235

Air 235

Land 235

Sea 236

Go-Fast Boats 237

Methods of Concealment 238

Unwitting Accomplices 239

Swallowers 239

Smugglersrsquo Profile 239

Characteristics of Drug Smuggling Organizations 239

Possess and Use State-of-the-Art Equipment 240

Well Organized 241

Well-Defined Roles 242

Large Number of Members 243

xxv

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Use of Private Investigators 243

Top Legal Help 243

Drug Smuggling Case Initiation 243

Methods of Investigating Smuggling Cases 244

Summary 244

16 Controlled Deliveries 245

Definition of Controlled Delivery 245

Internationally Controlled Delivery Scenario 245

Methods of Delivery 246

Domestic Controlled Deliveries 246

Mail Drops 247

Using a Ruse 247

Physical Evidence 248

Summary 248

17 Drug Intelligence 250

The Intelligence Analyst 250

Informant Debriefings 80

Telephone Subscriber Information 253

Telephone Toll Analysis 254

Wiretaps 255

Summary 255

References 256

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering 257

Federal Civil and Criminal Forfeitures 257

Judicial Forfeitures 259

Administrative Forfeitures 260

Policy Considerations 261

Notice 262

Criminal Forfeiture Procedures 263

xxvi

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Advantages of Criminal Forfeitures 264

Equitable Sharing Program 264

Determining Who Gets What 265

Permissible Uses of the Money 265

Money Laundering 266

Methods of Investigation 267

Assets vs Liability 267

Follow the Money 267

Typical Exchanges of Money 268

Money Laundering Methods 268

Bulk Shipments 269

Financial Institutions 269

Nonfinancial Institutions 270

Underground Banking Networks 272

Summary 272

References 273

19 Shared Traits of Drug Traffickers and Terrorists 274

Organizational Structure 275

Drug and Terrorism Source Countries 275

Money Laundering 266

Communications 276

Training Manuals 276

Immigration Fraud and False Identity Documents 277

Smuggling Techniques 277

Airport Profiling 278

Human Sources of Information 278

Parallel Investigative Techniques 279

Summary 280

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism 281

xxvii

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Afghanistan 283

Colombia 5

Peru 284

Middle East 284

Summary 285

References 285

21 Talking Points against Drug Legalization 286

Ten Undeniable Facts 286

A Law Enforcement Officerrsquos Approach to the Problem 291

Where to Go for Additional Help 292

Antidrug Organizations 292

Resources and Publications 294

Resources 294

Publications 294

Summary 296

References 296

Glossary of Terms Common to Drug Law Enforcement 297

Appendix A Controlled Substance Act Schedules 305

Appendix B Controlled Substances Alphabetically 319

Appendix C US Supreme Court Decision US v Sokolow 364

Index 376

xxviii

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Section I

The Fundamentals

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

1Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement

What distinguishes a drug law enforcement operation from traditional criminalinvestigations is that a drug case deals with crime as it occurs In almost everyoccasion before a formal drug investigation is launched a suspect has alreadybeen identified usually through an informant The drug agentrsquos challenge is tocorroborate the informantrsquos information build a prosecutable case against thesuspect identify and arrest all the other members of the drug traffickingorganization and seize as much drug evidence and drug-related financial assetsas possible

Drug agents are first and foremost criminal investigators Not only do theyneed to have the attributes of tenacious detectives but they must also possess anabundance of specialized knowledge along with good communication andinterpersonal relation skills Having a good understanding of geography differentcultures investments banking psychology and in some cases foreign relationsis also valuable All this knowledge will be put to use during a drug agentrsquoscareer conducting complex drug investigations

International in Scope

Because most drugs abused in the United States come from outside its bordersdrug investigations automatically become international in scope Domestic drugoperations are typically only a part of a much larger international conspiracywhere the conspirators have agreed to violate the drug laws of the United StatesIt is the drug agentrsquos mission to identify all the members of the conspiracyconfiscate their drugs and seize the assets of the conspirators that were gainedduring their criminal enterprise The international aspect of the crimedistinguishes drug cases from many other criminal investigations

Interpersonal Relationships

Almost all drug investigations are self-initiated Citizens do not routinely call theirlocal police department to report international drug conspiracies Drug agentsmust rely almost exclusively on sources of information or confidential

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

informants who are usually actively involved in the drug trade in order toidentify and build criminal cases against those persons engaged in the smugglingand distribution of illegal drugs Because these persons are most likely criminalsthemselves they must be handled differently than other witnesses criminalinvestigators encounter

Finance and Banking

Drug agents are authorized to identify locate and seize drug dealersrsquo financialassets in order to take the profit out of the crime Federal and state assetforfeiture laws allow some of these ill-gotten gains to be used by lawenforcement to supplement the cost of conducting drug investigationsThroughout their careers drug agents will often seize assets valued many timestheir salaries making their employment virtually cost free

Psychology

Using a drug agent in an undercover role is a common investigative technique indrug cases The agent must convince the criminal that he is dealing with anothercriminal involved in some aspect of the drug business The specific role theundercover agent takes and how convincing he or she is will have a profoundimpact on the overall success of the investigation Although it is the mosteffective technique there is in drug law enforcement more drug agents are killedor injured while working undercover assignments than in any other enforcementactivity Many agents have been injured when the drug trafficker attempts to stealthe money they were going to use to purchase the drugs Good training andtactics help counter this potential danger

Communication Skills

Modern drug agents are expected to have an extensive knowledge of drugidentification the physical and psychological effects on the user as well as howto conduct effective drug education and demand reduction programs The mostfrequently asked question of a drug agent is ldquoAre we winning the war ondrugsrdquo

Foreign Relations

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) maintains more than 78offices in 56 foreign countries to facilitate international drug conspiracyinvestigations impacting the United States These country attaches as the agents-in-charge are known and their fellow special agents establish and maintainrelationships with their foreign counterparts advise the ambassador on drug-related issues and train and mentor their foreign counterparts They are an

INTRODUCTION TO DRUG LAW ENFORCEMENT 3

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

important part of US foreign relations in the field of global drug lawenforcement

Other Aspects

Drug agents must have a thorough understanding of the drug laws he or she has aduty to enforce and how to effectively apply them They rely heavily on the useof informants surveillance and historical intelligence to carve out aninvestigative product that will result in the convictions of those involved in theillegal drug trade Unless the twenty-first century drug agent possesses a widerange of expertise in the fundamentals of drug enforcement he or she cannotthoroughly debrief informants and suspects in order to gather the intelligencedata necessary to attack organized drug criminal groups

Summary

Successful drug agents are criminal investigators who possess the requisitespecialized knowledge of the drug trade He or she must have a goodunderstanding of where illegal drugs originate as well as how they aremanufactured smuggled sold and used Furthermore they need a workingknowledge of how illicit drug profits are returned to these source countries andhow the money is laundered to appear to come from legitimate sources

Drug agents are expected to have the answers to questions concerning drugabuse symptoms users display how drugs in the workplace affect productivitydrug trafficking trends harsh mandatory minimum sentences racial profilingand the inevitable questions on drug legalization and if the war on drugs can bewon

4 GLOBAL DRUG ENFORCEMENT PRACTICAL INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

References

3 Drug Identification and User Recognition

1 Ecstasy and Predatory Drugs US Drug EnforcementAdministration February 2003

2 Drug Intelligence Brief Drug EnforcementAdministration September 2000

Figure 346 Variety of steroids seized by the US CustomsService (Courtesy of US

Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

Figure 347 Glue as an inhalant (Courtesy of the US DrugEnforcement

Administration)

Figure 348 Solvent used as an inhalant (Courtesy of theUS Drug Enforcement

Administration)

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

10 US Sentencing Guidelines for DrugOffenses

1 28 US Code sect 994(b) (2)

2 Federal Criminal Case Processing 1980ndash89 withpreliminary date for 1990 Bureau of Justice StatisticsOctober 1991 p 17

3 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Section3B13 (November 1991) comment (n2)

4 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sections2D12 3A11

5 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Ch 3Pt k

6 Mistretta v United States 488 US 361 109 S Ct647 1989 May 17 1993 p F7

8 The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of1994 Publ No 103ndash 322 Sec 80001 108 Stat 1985

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

12 Drug Conspiracy Investigations

1 lannelli v United States 420 US 770 1975

2 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines Manual Sec2D14(a)Nov 1991

3 United States vFigueroa 720 F2d 1239 1983

4 United States vGoodwin 492 F2d 1141 1974

5 Pinkerton vUnited States 328 US 640 66 S Ct 118090 LEd 1489 1946

6 United States vGutierrez 978 F2d 1463 7th Cir 1992

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

17 Drug Intelligence

1 Source Debriefing Guide US Department of JusticeDrug Enforcement Administration

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

18 Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering

1 The Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000 Pub LNo 106ndash185 114 Stat 202

2 18 US Code sect 983(c) 114 Stat 205

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

20 Nexus between Drugs and Terrorism

1 Report on Foreign Terrorists Organizations USDepartment of State October 2001

2 Priest D and Farah DTerror Alliance Has USWorried The Washington Post June 30 2002

3 Vartabedian R US Officials Announce 2 TerrorismIndictments Los Angeles Times November 7 2002

4 Molina MA Mi Confesioacuten (My Confession Carlos Castaprimeo Reveals His Secrets) Los Angeles Times November 72002

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

21 Talking Points against DrugLegalization

1 Source Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Profile ofJail Inmates 1996 NCJ 164620 April 1998

2 Drug Use Testing and Treatment in Jails NCJ 179999May 2000

3 BJS Substance Abuse and Treatment State and FederalPrisoners 1997 NCJ 172871 January 1999 Enforcement

ACISS An automated date analysis system

ADA Assistant District Attorney Attorney who acts underthe authority of the

District Attorneyrsquos office to represent the state in allcriminal matters within a

particular jurisdiction typically a county

AMA Dump A common term for a cellular telephone company

APB All points bulletin advisory police board Generalpolicy of the FBI is

recommended by the APB that operates under the principlesof the National

Crime Information Center (NCIC) It is comprised of memberlaw enforcement

agencies across the United States

ASAC Assistant special agent in charge The term is used bythe DEA FBI US

Secret Service and most other federal agencies

ATF Commonly used to reference the US Department ofJusticersquos Bureau of

Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms formerly a part of theDepartment of Treasury

AUSA Assistant US Attorney A federal prosecutor whohandles criminal and

civil matters for the US government

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Activity flowcharting Used to pinpoint patterns of activityas sequential events

Administrative subpena The DEA FBI and other agencies areauthorized by

statute to issue subpenas for records including telephonesubscriber and toll

information They cannot be used to obtain bank records Agrand jury subpoena

is required for bank records Note the different spellingof subpoena when

referring to administrative subpenas

Affidavit A sworn written statement made under oath beforean individual

authorized by law to certify the statement Affidavits areused in support for an

application for a search warrant

Affiant The law enforcement official who files a swornaffidavit in support of the

application for a search or arrest warrant

Analysis The function of developing meaning from collecteddata or information

Analyst Notebookreg A commonly used software program to aidin the analysis

of data and to construct link diagrams and flow charts

Association matrix The first step in the link analysisprocess Shows the raw data

about people and organizations associated with known orsuspected criminal

activity It is an effort to organize this information intoa systematic or logical

order

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

BATF Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms Now a partof the Department

of Justice it is responsible for the enforcement andadministration of laws

related to alcohol tobacco firearms explosives arsonand other destructive

devices

C3I Command control communication and intelligence Adivision of the

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the USCustoms Service

responsible for ground-and aerial-based tracking radars Itis the main

clearinghouse for detecting suspicious aircraft involved insmuggling

which allows the government to use technology that isreasonably available

during the course of an investigation

CI Confidential informant Sometimes called confidentialsource (CS) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Operates the Crime andNarcotics Center

Monitors reviews and delivers information aboutinternational drug trafficking

and international organized crime to government leaders andlaw enforcement

agencies

CID The Criminal Investigation Division of the InternalRevenue Service (IRS)

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Also the Criminal Investigation Command of the US ArmyIRS CID is a

member agency of the OCDETF program

CPIC Canadian Police Information Centre Operates similarlyto the FBIrsquos NCIC

CS Confidential source Sometimes called confidentialinformant (CI) or

cooperating witness (CW) Used in drug investigations dueto their specific and

intimate information related to drug trafficking activity

CSA Controlled Substance Act Title 21 of the US Codethat created the DEA

and contains criminal statutes related to federal drugviolations

CTA Control terminal agency The message switcher used ineach state for NCIC

traffic

CTR Currency transaction report

CW Cooperating witness or confidential witness Sometimescalled confidential

source (CS) or confidential informant (CI) Used in druginvestigations due to

their specific and intimate information related to drugtrafficking activity

Cell site Cellular telephones emit a signal that can betraced back to a particular

cellular tower Each cell site has a numerical identifiercalled a cell site

Circuit court A court that has jurisdiction over severalcounties districts or

states A circuit court holds sessions in all these areas

Commodities In general terms something of common value for

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

trade or

commerce A tangible good such as products or merchandiseother than a

service In the drug trade a commodity could be the drugitself weapons

money or other services which may be provided

Commodities flowcharting Graphic illustration showing theflow of a

commodity either tangible or intangible during a criminalactivity

Consumers In the drug trade this person is an addictedindividual who buys small

quantities of drugs for personal use

Controlled Substance Act Also known as the CSA Title 21 ofthe US Code

that created the DEA and contains criminal statutes relatedto federal drug

violations

Control terminal Message center for delivering messages tothe NCIC and

retrieving messages from the CTA Each state has a versionof this messaging

system

Corroborate To strengthen and support with evidence As incorroborating the

information provided by a CI

Court order A written direction instruction or commandhanded down by a

judge Also known as a judicial order

Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) withinthe Department

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

of Homeland Security ICE has the authority to search anyperson vehicle or

container entering or leaving the United States without awarrant

DEA Drug Enforcement Administration A part of the USDepartment of Justice

it has the responsibility of enforcing the ControlledSubstance Act (CSA)

Member agency of the OCDETF program

DNR Dialed number recorder Device that is attached to atelephone line and

provides real time information about numbers dialed by thetarget phone Also

known as a pen register They do not provide the content ofthe telephone

conversation but do provide information on the time dateand duration of the

call as well as the number dialed A court order isrequired to install such a

device

DO District office Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a field

division but superior to a resident office

Detective Criminal investigator for a local policedepartment

District Attorney A local public official who is elected orappointed to represent

the state in all criminal matters in a particularjurisdiction usually a county

District Court A trial court which has general jurisdictionin a specific judicial

district The United States has 92 district courts locatedthroughout the country

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

and its territories

EPIC The El Paso Intelligence Center Joint federalorganization managed by the

Drug Enforcement Administration located in Fort Bliss TXIt is a national

repository of criminal information related to drugs aliensmuggling and

weapons Serves as a one-stop-shop for member agencies torun individuals

through multiple federal databases

Event flowcharting Provides a graphical depiction of aseries of events in order

of occurrence

Extension of the border search An investigative techniqueused by ICE where

a vehicle entering the United States that is believed to becarrying drugs or other

contraband is followed and then searched upon its arrivalat its initial stopping

place A search warrant is not required for this search

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation Investigates a varietyof violations of US

Code Has concurrent Title 21 (CSA) authority with the DEAMember agency

of OCDETE

FBI-AIS Federal Bureau of Investigation AutomaticIdentification System

Automated system for identifying record fingerprints

FBI-III Federal Bureau of Investigation InterstateIdentification Index

FINCEN Financial Crimes Enforcement Network FINCEN was

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

established as a

multi-agency multi-source financial intelligence andanalytical network to

serve as a source of systematic identification collationand analysis of

information related to financial crimes

FMS search A common term for a cellular telephone provider

Federal Appellate Court A circuit court that may overturnor uphold the

standings of a federal trial court within its jurisdiction

Federal court A court which has federal jurisdictionFederal courts include the

US Supreme Court Courts of Appeals district courtsbankruptcy courts and

tax courts

commodities Shows a progression of activities over aperiod of time

Flipping a suspect The process of convincing a freshlyarrested drug suspect to

become a confidential informant

FAA Federal Aviation Administration Provides informationpertaining to pilots

mechanics and the registration and history of aircraftMember agency of

OCDETF

FSN Foreign service national An employee of a US embassywho is a local

national of the host country The DEA employs many vettedFSN investigators

at their more than 78 offices worldwide

Friendly A person who is a confidential informant

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

GJ Refers to a grand jury

GS Group supervisor Term used for a supervisory specialagent of the DEA

Grand jury A body of citizens who are impaneled at randomand who serve for

at least a month sometimes up to a year or more and whoin proceedings outside

of the courtroom decides where to issue indictments Atrue bill of indictment

is issued if the grand jury decides that evidence in acertain case is strong enough

to charge a suspect with a specific crime Grand juries areusually comprised

of 24 persons

Grand jury subpoena A writ issued by a grand jury to obtainrecords including

bank and other financial records

HIDTA High intensity drug trafficking area This program isfunded by the Office

of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to provideresources to locations

that have been designated as having critical drugtrafficking problems HIDTAs

are located throughout the United States predominately inlarge metropolitan

centers

HIFCA High-intensity money laundering and related crimearea Similar to

HIDTAs however its focus is on major money-launderingorganizations

operating within a specific geographical area

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

IA or IA (1) Intelligence analyst (2) Investigativeassistant (3) Internal affairs

IRS US Internal Revenue Service Responsible forenforcing the tax codes of

the United States IRS special agents can seize propertyand money believed to

be derived from drug trafficking A part of the USTreasury Department that

investigates through its Criminal Investigation Division(CID) persons who

evade paying income taxes through profits from legal andillegal business such

as the drug trade IRS CID is a member of the OCDETFprogram

In camera When confidential or sensitive information isexamined outside of the

court session to determine whether it can become publicrecord

Indictment A formal accusation of a specific crime broughtby a prosecutor and

returned by a grand jury An indictment can be in lieu of apretrial hearing

Intelligence analyst Also known as an IA A member of aninvestigative team

whose responsibility is to determine relationships betweenpeople and events

INTERPOL The International Police Organization Aninternational law

enforcement and criminal intelligence association with morethan 125 member

nations Contact with INTERPOL is made through differentmember federal

agencies including the FBI and DEA

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Interstate Crossing a state line outside the borders of astate

Oakland CA and South located in Key West FL Bothprovide military assets

in drug interdiction operations in the Pacific AtlanticGulf of Mexico and

Caribbean

JTF Joint task force A joint military operation inparticipation with the DEA

FBI and ICE It is designed to provide analytical andlogistic support in counter

drug operations

Jurisdiction The territory or limitations in whichpolitical or judicial authority

may be exercised

Key Refers to a kilo

Kilo A metric unit of measurement equaling 1000 grams andweighing

approximately 22 pounds

LEA Law enforcement agency

LEIU Law enforcement intelligence unit Located inCalifornia this unit is a

nationwide organization with members from state countyand local agencies

Also included is Canada

Lane check A check the Bureau of Immigration and CustomsEnforcement makes

to determine if a particular person has recently enteredthe United States See

Silent lookout

Link analysis An investigative tool to graphically

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

illustrate known and suspected

associates of individuals businesses and other entitiesin a complex drug

conspiracy investigations Used for one set period of timeonly

MAGLOCLEN Middle Atlantic Great Lakes Organized Crime LawEnforcement

Network A part of the Regional Information Sharing System(RISS) located

in Pennsylvania

MSOCIC Mid States Organized Crime Information Center Apart of the RISS

located in Missouri

MTF Multi-jurisdictional task forces MTFs are sponsored byfederal agencies

that federally deputize state and local task force officers(TFO) who may need

to cross outside their jurisdiction in the course of acriminal investigation

Mag Ct US magistrate court

Measured Service Telephone calls made on a payment per callbasis

Mule An individual who is hired to smuggle drugs or moneyA drug smuggler

NADDIS Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Information SystemMaintained by the

DEA covering over three million records with worldwideinformation archived

and current drug related investigations names addressesand telephone

numbers

NCIC National Crime Information Center Standardizes data

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

for the FBI and

participating states on information related to peoplevehicles properties and

securities Also contains the US Secret Servicersquosprotective files

NCIS Naval Criminal Investigation Service Responsible forhandling all

investigations for naval counter-intelligence and security

NDIC National Drug Intelligence Center Located inJohnstown PA this agency

collects comprehensive information from 88 differentagencies to gain global

strategic information about drug related activity Providesanalytical products

and support for large-scale federal drug investigationsReports directly to the

Deputy Attorney General of the United States

located in Massachusetts

NLETS National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System Anationwide

system of telecommunication that assists in the exchange ofinformation

between states and to Canada (through INTERPOL)

OCDETF Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forcesprogram Federal

program initiated in 1982 which provides funding andexpertise for selected

investigations concerning organized drug traffickersMember agencies include

the DEA US Marshals Service US Coast Guard FBI FAAIRS and ICE

ONDCP Office of National Drug Control Policy ONDCP falls

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

under the

executive office of the President of the United States andwas established to

oversee the implementation of drug control strategies andadvises the National

Security Council (NSC) on drug related policy

ORI Originating agency identifier A nine character codeused by the US Justice

Department through the FBI NCIC to identify lawenforcementcriminal justice

agencies

OSI Air Force Office of Investigations Responsible forcriminal investigations

and counter-intelligence matters affecting the US AirForce

Ounce A unit of measurement approximately 28 grams

PC Probable cause A requirement for search and seizure andarrest warrants

Requires that sufficient knowledge and facts be present toreasonably believe

that a crime has been committed or that property isconnected with a criminal

act

POD Post of duty Term used by the DEA for an officesubordinate to a resident

office Usually staffed with two or three special agents

Penlinkreg A commonly used software program used byintelligence analysts to

download and receive telephone numbers

Pen register Also known as a dialed number recorder (DNR)Device that is

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

attached to a telephone line and provides real timeinformation about numbers

dialed on the target phone The equipment does not providethe content of the

telephone conversation but do provide information on thetime date and

duration of the call as well as the number dialed A courtorder is required to

install such a device

Pipeline stop Refers to Operation Pipeline When a statetrooper stops a driver

because he and his vehicle exhibit characteristicsindicative of being a cross

country drug courier

Posse comitatus The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 was passedby Congress in

response to military interference with a civil electionThe act restricts the power

of the military in regards to enforcing civilian lawRevisions to this act have

expanded the militaryrsquos role in providing assistance tocivilian law enforcement

personnel combating drug related criminal activity

Producers Individuals or organizations that produce anddistribute a drug to

wholesalers who have distribution networks in place

Prosecution summary A summary prepared by the prosecutingattorney who

outlines the major events of a case

RA Resident agency Term used by the FBI and other federalagencies to identify

an office that is subordinate to a field division

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

agent in charge of a resident office (RO)

RO Resident office Term used by the DEA to signify anoffice subordinate to a

district office or field division

RISS Regional Information Sharing Systems This program isfederally funded

to support law enforcement agencies in their efforts tocombat organized crime

drug trafficking gang activity and violent crime Thisprogram is made up of

six regional projects covering all 50 states Theseregional projects are

MAGELOCEN MOCIC NESPIN RMIN ROCIC and WSIN

RMIN Rocky Mountain Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in Arizona

ROCIC Regional Organized Crime Information Center A partof the RISS

program located in Tennessee

Reasonable suspicion Facts or other information that wouldcause a reasonable

person to believe that a crime has been or was about to becommitted

Retailers Street level drug dealers who deal in smallquantities

SA or SA Special agent Term used by most federal agenciesto designate a

criminal investigator

SAC Special agent in charge

SSA Supervisory special agent

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

SSRA Supervisory senior resident agent Term used by theFBI to designate the

agent in charge of a resident agency (RA)

Significant violator A major drug trafficker who may be anorganizer manager

or supervisor for a large a criminal organization

Silent lookout ICE will tell a requesting law enforcementagency when a

particular suspect or his vehicle enters the United StatesICE inspectors will

not harass or otherwise alert the suspect he is beingscrutinized

Subpoena A court ordered writ demanding that an individual(1) appear in a court

proceeding to testify and (2) produce documents or otheritems in a court

proceeding under penalty of prosecution

2DetectML A money-laundering detection system used by theDEA ICE and

the IRS that monitors financial transactions to detect thepresence of money

laundering It is manufactured by Actionable IntelligenceTechnologies

TECS Treasury Enforcement Computer System Maintained byICE records pilot

and flight records in and out of the country It alsorecords boat registrations

and look out lists of boats and aircrafts transiting in andout of the country

TFO Task force officer

TSA Transportation Security Administration A part of theDepartment of

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Homeland Security charged with providing air marshals andluggage screeners

at airports throughout the United States

Target The subject of a drug investigation

Telephone debit cards Cards that provide prepaid telephoneservice Often used

by drug traffickers because there is no record of the saleof the cards However

if found on a drug dealer the company that issued the cardcan provide a listing

of telephone numbers called from the card number

Telephone toll analysis The act of analyzing telephone tollrecords to establish

a link between individuals in an investigation Can showlinks in a criminal

drug investigation

Title III Sometimes called T-3 The portion of federal lawthat governs the use of

wiretaps

Trial court The court that has the original jurisdictionand where the evidence is

first considered

Transporting groups Networks that have transportationchannels to specific and

strategically located distribution points At thedistribution points they sell

wholesale quantities to a chain of distributors

UC (1) Undercover (2) Undercover agent

UMS search A common term for a cellular telephone company

US Attorney Appointed by the President the US Attorneyfor each of the 92

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

federal judicial districts represents the United States inall criminal and civil

matters that fall under federal jurisdiction

USCG United States Coast Guard Among other duties theUSCG conducts drug

interdiction missions and have the authority to arrest drugsmugglers attempting

to introduce contraband into the United States It is now apart of the Department

of Homeland Security

USMS United States Marshals Service Part of the USDepartment of Justice

these federal officers carry out the orders of the federalcourts They provide

courtroom security in federal court and arrest federalfugitives many of which

are wanted for drug violations

USSS United States Secret Service Responsible forprotecting the President

Secret Service agents prevent and investigatecounterfeiting and investigate

criminal activity related to money transfers and computerfraud

US Court of Appeals A federal appellate court that hasjurisdiction over the 13

judicial districts District of Columbia and federalcircuit court Cases from

these districts can be stayed or overturned by the USCourt of Appeals

WSIN Western States Information Network A part of the RISSprogram located

in California

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References

Wall-off An investigative technique in drug cases in whichthe involvement of a

federal agency is disguised in order to not alert the drugtraffickers there is a

federal interest in their illegal activities

Wholesalers Drug dealers who have distribution networks inplace Wholesalers

can be small or extensive organizations

• Cover and Prelims
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Editorrsquos Note
• Preface
• Author
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Section I The Fundamentals
• 1 Introduction to Drug Law Enforcement
• References