Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County, FL, began an investigation four years ago that led law enforcement agencies to conclude that Los Angeles International Airport is likely the world’s main drug trafficking hub.
“Over and over on these domestic airlines from LAX, through suitcases drugs were smuggled here,” Judd said, as he displayed luggage packed with narcotics at a press conference announcing a drug bust.Through good police work, his agency cracked a big drug ring – and the bust illustrates a much larger problem.”On one occasion, on one airline, six suitcases with this drug was smuggled into Orlando,” Judd said. “They didn’t so much as throw a pair of underwear in the suitcase to act like they were hiding the drugs. You think LAX has got a drug smuggling problem?”The investigation began four years ago and involved multiple local and federal agencies, resulting in dozens of arrests.
Judd told ABC7, “It’s so easy not to be caught. We see drugs pouring out of LAX.”
Law enforcement discovered through the investigation that drug smuggling through LAX happens daily.
“They use this multi, multi-billion dollar travel industry as their go-to, to move drugs across this country,” added Judd.
An ABC7 investigation “uncovered drug cases across the United States and the globe, all originating out of LAX.”
First off, TSA doesn’t search for drugs. Jason Pantages, TSA’s security director for LAX, insisted the agency cannot search for drugs.
“We don’t have the ability to do that because we’re not law enforcement officials,” said Pantages. “We’re transportation security officers.”
Pantages added: “We can’t search for criminal activity. It’s not within what we’re able to do with our search authority.”
Okay, so TSA won’t screen the bags for drugs.
How about the DEA? You know, the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Nope:
“A lot of what they do is investigative,” said Matthew Allen, special agent in charge of the DEA in Los Angeles. “A lot of what they do is try to stop the narcotics before they ever actually even make it to LAX.””So part of the dilemma is if they’re not going to look at bags – then who should be doing this?””We all have a role to play, right? Screening is not the role of the DEA.”
The LAX police Agency?
Chief Cecil Rhambo says no because, “Bags are TSA.”
FBI? DHS?
Again…NOPE:
The FBI also plays a role in enforcing drug laws, but only in a limited sense:When airport employees try to use their credentials to smuggle narcotics past checkpoints.And when illegal drugs are found on a plane. But only if the doors to the cabin have been shut. While they are open, the plane is still under LAX police jurisdiction.”It’s complicated because this airport is so complicated,” says FBI special agent David Gates.And Homeland Security is another agency that is involved.”We have approximately 40 special agents that reside there on a daily basis,” says John Pasciucco with Homeland Security Investigations.But those agents are primarily focused on international drug cases, he says. And like the DEA, their focus is on investigations, not screening bags.
I should be shocked that the DEA doesn’t want to have anything to do with drug enforcement, but hey. It’s a federal agency. Agencies don’t give a crap about their jobs so I’m not shocked.
We have an open border and an open airport.
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