Florida Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog
NO! No, the “War on Drugs” seems to continue to be a priority of our government. Yesterday morning, for example, the U.S. Coast Guard offloaded approximately 2,800 pounds of cocaine at Port Everglades. The estimated wholesale value of the seized contraband was $40 million. They seized the cocaine during two separate encounters, November 2nd and 6th, both in the central Caribbean.
The Coast Guard called their effort “Operation Martillo (Hammer) patrols.” They claim it’s part of their effort to interrupt the shipment of cocaine into U.S. via Central American coastal routes.
After reading about this latest bust, I had several thoughts. The first one was, “Wow, that’s a lot of coke!” My second thought was, “I guess the ‘War on Drugs’ ain’t over.” What that means to me is that many of my future clients will continue to be subjected to Draconian minimum mandatory penalties for drug possession crimes. I’m not speaking about the guys responsible for attempting to bring in 2,800 worth of cocaine into our country. I’m talking about the guys and gals who most likely will be prosecuted for drug offenses. Typically, that means the addict who purchased a bit extra and now faces a fifteen year minimum mandatory prison sentence.
I’m also referring to one of my current clients who couldn’t get his prescription filled for the pain pills that he needed, after sustaining a significant back injury after a car accident. Law enforcements’ crackdown on pharmacies, especially in Broward County, left him with no alternative but to hit the black market. Tired of paying $30-$40 per pain pill, he jumped at a friend’s offer to hook him up with someone selling the needed Oxycodone for merely $16 per pill. Unfortunately for my client, the person he did the deal with was an undercover agent. Worse, although my client only wanted to initially purchase 10 pills to cover him for a day or so, the cop insisted he purchase more. As a result of the “bulk purchase,” which really would have only been a 3-4 week supply, my client was charged with drug trafficking and faces a fifteen year minimum mandatory prison sentence. He’s got no prior criminal record and has owned his own business for over ten years.
So is the ‘War on Drugs’ over? No. Do I wish it was? Yes. I’m personally tired of seeing non violent addicts, many who sell drugs to support their own expensive habits, receive enormous prison terms for non violent crimes. Worse, the resources and/or desire for treating these offenders is often lacking. My suggestion to our government, “Wave the white flag. Use those precious law enforcement resources for another purpose.”
If you, or someone you know has been charged with any drug offense, from simple possession to trafficking, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’ve been zealously and aggressively fighting these cases for approximately two decades. I remain extremely passionate about these matters. Contact us any time at 954.500.0003 or 305.674.0003 and/or visit our web site: www.EiglarshLaw.com