More DEA Nonsense

On March 22nd, two men plead guilty to kidnapping and other related charges for holding another dealer hostage while demanding a $300,000 debt be paid. Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division, Rodney G. Benson, said in a DEA and its law enforcement counterparts are committed to protecting our citizens from the scourge of drug abuse. The swift actions taken by law enforcement personnel that day clearly saved this man's life. These guilty pleas should serve as a reminder that drug trafficking and the associated violence that it spawns will not be tolerated." This agent spouts the company line in one sentence and acknowledges the real problem in another. This crime had nothing to do with drug abuse. It had everything to do with the problem of unregulated drug trafficking. It is disturbing that a dealer DEA would have no problem killing becomes a citizen worthy of saving in this scenario. "The methods employed by Mexican drug dealers to collect money are becoming increasingly violent, threatening not only the well-being of those directly involved but also innocent bystanders living in neighborhoods being infiltrated by participants in the drug trade. This case should send a clear signal that drug-related violence will not be tolerated in our community. And the captive drug dealer’s guilty plea also demonstrates that we will not tolerate the drug trafficking that leads to this violence," said U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias. Win-Wins like this make DEA salivate. They get to act sympathetic to a victims plight, when they actually can not wait to file charges against them. This individual would have meant little more than another count on an indictment had he been found dead. While prohibition-related violence is unnecessary, we know why it happens. The fear, trauma and violence caused by botched raids is intolerable. Citizens do not expect drug traffickers to look out for the best interests. They should be able to expect that from their law enforcement officials. More and more often it seems that law-abiding citizens in areas plagued by prohibition-related problems are no more worthy of protection than the dealers enabled by the laws in the first place.