Atlanta News First: Drug agents searching passengers for cash at airport gates
Oct 19, 2023, 6:51 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2023
Posts: 43
Atlanta News First: Drug agents searching passengers for cash at airport gates
https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/202...airport-gates/
Quotes:
Both Clayton County police records and federal court documents show drug agents working at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport rarely find drugs on passengers at departing gates. More often, they find money. Records show agents have seized millions of dollars from passengers at boarding gates. The money is administratively forfeited as the proceeds of drug trafficking even when no drugs are found. Agents generally do not arrest the passenger. They arrest their money.
Merely flying from Atlanta to Los Angeles is suspicious, according to multiple probable cause statements, because it’s a “known drug trafficking route.”
Sgt. Fikes has been involved in the seizure of $1,163,047, according to records Atlanta News First Investigates obtained through an open records request. His department’s cut is about nine percent of that money...
The DEA officially calls its stops and searches at airport gates, “cold consent encounters.” Passengers are free to end the discussion and walk away, according to the DEA, even if they’re unaware of those rights.
Quotes:
Both Clayton County police records and federal court documents show drug agents working at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport rarely find drugs on passengers at departing gates. More often, they find money. Records show agents have seized millions of dollars from passengers at boarding gates. The money is administratively forfeited as the proceeds of drug trafficking even when no drugs are found. Agents generally do not arrest the passenger. They arrest their money.
Merely flying from Atlanta to Los Angeles is suspicious, according to multiple probable cause statements, because it’s a “known drug trafficking route.”
Sgt. Fikes has been involved in the seizure of $1,163,047, according to records Atlanta News First Investigates obtained through an open records request. His department’s cut is about nine percent of that money...
The DEA officially calls its stops and searches at airport gates, “cold consent encounters.” Passengers are free to end the discussion and walk away, according to the DEA, even if they’re unaware of those rights.
Oct 24, 2023, 4:53 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Bergen County NJ
Programs: AA EXP, UA1K B6 Mosaic 1, Amtrak Select, Marriott Plat , AMEX Plat (noted for club access reference)
Posts: 786
I just saw this on YouTube and it is absolutely wild how this can be allowed. Plenty of people have very valid reasons to carry large amounts of cash across state lines via the airlines. Very concerning to say the least. The news reporter did an excellent job on covering this.
I for one am pro-police, but this is way overstepping the lines.
I for one am pro-police, but this is way overstepping the lines.
Nov 2, 2023, 5:26 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 27,621
There are cash limits… think it’s 10k.
years ago, around 2010, I read a post from a poker player (David “Viffer” Peat) that he had cash (about 400k) seized with a receipt at an airport. He was known to be a total degen (who also grew up impoverished) so I can imagine why he was carrying cash instead of using bank transfers as some other players do. Same DEA issue. Alas while I don’t know if there was a positive outcome, I know that his socials indicate that he’s happily married with kids and he still has all his tattoos.
years ago, around 2010, I read a post from a poker player (David “Viffer” Peat) that he had cash (about 400k) seized with a receipt at an airport. He was known to be a total degen (who also grew up impoverished) so I can imagine why he was carrying cash instead of using bank transfers as some other players do. Same DEA issue. Alas while I don’t know if there was a positive outcome, I know that his socials indicate that he’s happily married with kids and he still has all his tattoos.
