Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In other cases, a K9 drug dog might "alert" to a suspicious package. What happens if USPS finds drugs in a package? (USPS requires a warrant based on probable cause to search a package for drugs. Is Mail X-Rayed? You are breaking state and federal laws when mailing prescription drugs. When USPS tracking indicates that a box is In Transit, it usually means it is on its way. If you want the best criminal defense attorneys to represent you, fill out the form below. The agency also started to charge a fee to send out mail, such as letters, packages, and documents. If you prefer, you may have your attorney present even if you have not been arrested or charged with a crime. Once the investigation begins, theofficers might attempt to monitor your communications, collect the trash out of your trash can at the curb, or use surveillance to see who is coming or going from your house. Before you decide, schedule an appointment to meet directly with the attorney. If you receive such a letter, consider contacting us to discuss the case BEFORE you call the 1-800 number or talk with an investigator. Instead, they stumble across less experienced shippers of contraband. Some postal systems do X-ray, but others do not. Dont just wait for law enforcement officers to come to your home or office to interrogate you. Some over-the-counter drugs are subject to the same regulations. There is a lot of suspicious activity going on with the company. What Happens when USPS finds Drugs? What Happens When USPS Finds Drugs In 2023? Postal Service employees will not seize or open mail containing drug paraphernalia or evidence of drug use. After all, trying to send narcotics, including o*ioids such as h*roin, mar*juana (even now in decriminalized jurisdictions), and prescription drugs, is a felony. . The sender and receiver can face fines or even jail time if they are found guilty. And both federal and state laws will apply to your drug trafficking charges. This will be your local law enforcement agency and the DEA (drug enforcement administration). Those changes make it more likely that USPS and other common couriers will be used to ship the contraband being purchased. Postal Inspection Service showed that they arrested 1,118 suspects and seized $4.78 million in assets related to investigations of drugs found in the mail. For example, Cold medicine, Pepto Bismol, pain relief creams, etc., are all acceptable for mailing without any special considerations or approval from the DEA. In the case of option 3, call a lawyer immediately because that kind of contact is the most likely scenario to lead to law enforcement contact and 100% you dont want to talk to the police because lying to the police is against the law in Colorado. X-Raying/scanning is the standard method when mailing goods by USPS. Imagine if individuals were exporting burdened weapons or cases of poorly packed glass coffee cups daily. What Should You Do If Youre Caught Mailing Drugs? Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. USPS will send you a letter telling you that they couldnt deliver your package. For now, mailing marijuana in an amount less than 50 kilos carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 if you have no criminal record and you are not charged with other federal crimes that carry additional penalties. An Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) prosecutes these cases in federal court. Federal law provides for harsh penalties for mailing drugs. Scanning adds protection capacity to the USPSs legal limitations, which dissuades most but not all. You want to invest into your future. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. You can choose instead to have an attorney present. That letter might prevent the agent from coming to your home or place of business to interrogate you about the facts of the case. Therefore, you and your friend could be arrested on felony drug trafficking charges, worst-case scenario. You have such easy access, so why not share? The attorneys at Sammis Law Firm in Tampa, FL, often get calls from people concerned about getting arrested for mailing or receiving cannabis, narcotics, firearms, or other contraband through the United States Postal Service (USPS) or other couriers such as UPS and FedEx in Florida. X-Raying/scanning is the standard method when mailing goods by USPS. There are no specific guidelines as to what may or may not be x-rayed, though mail sent to or through larger cities is likely to pass through an X-Ray machine. We update the information on this website periodically, but the information on this site should not be used as legal advice for your personal problem. They can request a search warrant to open suspicious packages. If you receive such a phone call and are worried about being caught up in the investigation, then your next call should be to an experienced criminal defense attorney. When you get caught mailing weed, the potential federal laws that you may break are: (i.e., FedEx can get considered as a co-conspirator if they get caught mailing weed. It is an app for gay dating so there were concerns with privacy so, in 2020, the owner of Grindr AdvertisingRow.com - Home of online Advertising Inspiration & Ideas, AdvertisingRow.com | Home of Advertising Professionals, Advertising news, Infographics, Job offers. USPS DOES X-ray packages, but thats only packages going into the Washington, D.C. area. Specially trained inspectors from the United States Postal Inspection Service lead the charge in package inspection. How many packages get seizedRead More If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. This is a list of just a few of the reasons that an indictment might be dismissed. Packages that go through first class shipping are in fact protected by your Fourth Amendment right. Marques Thomas graduated with a MBA in 2011. Aside from straight-up tracking errors, there is a slew of other methods that USPS tracking might not be helpful. No, They will manually enter the Tracking Number. In FY 2015, the Inspection Service initiated 2,560 cases involving drug trafficking and made 1,898 arrests. Advertisement. While the US Postal Service assures the quickest shipment possible to establish its size and breadth, it should also be diligent regarding security. Tracking will not tell you if it has been seized, but you would get a letter from customs stating that your package contained illegal items, was seized, but all other legal items were returned to the package. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 1005 N. Marion St. While USPS does not actually have drug sniffing dogs on staff, they do collaborate with local law enforcements K9 units. If your address is not eligible, you may still create an account so you may use USPS Click-N-Ship or Postal Store by following the prompts. As a result, the USPS may scan or x-ray parcels to protect either provision of public health & safety. Many of these investigations being with a call from an inspector with the law enforcement wing of the postal service. Many of these investigations begin with a letter or phone call. The postal investigators set up the procedures to scan packages for drugs, identify the drugs, and prosecute major drug mailers. TalkRadioNews is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, Can You Ship Medicine Through Usps? Federal Law on Prohibited Mail Narcotics Since controlled substance distribution is unlawful under 21 U.S.C. (2) The weight of the package. When UPS finds drugs in a package, they will seize that package. The agents know that getting a confession to a serious drug crime under state or federal law is more likely if you are surprised with a knock on the door. Can you get in trouble if someone sends you something illegal in the mail? After a criminal investigation begins dont make a statement to a law enforcement officer until after you have spoken to an experienced criminal defense attorney. The use of the Internet for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. I want to talk to the attorney! Check out marijuana legalities by the state to see your local weed laws. Are there penalties? Once the dog determines there are drugs in the package, the police will get a warrant. Sending weed in the mail gets you drug trafficking charges. Registered Mail is the most secure way to send a package through the USPS. You have the right to remain silent under the 5th amendment and the right to the assistance of counsel under the 6th amendment. Chat us for guest posts and personalized ads. Visit www.uspis.gov to report suspected fraud online. After the marijuana is received, other participants will then distribute the marijuana to local customers and deposit the proceeds into a bank account through businesses that front for money laundering organizations. Also, What makes a package suspicious USPS? "Regardless of what is actually inside your package, markings or labels for hazardous materials may result in delivery delays or a package return," the brochure stated. Some people may attempt to send drugs through the mail because they believe the Fourth Amendment protects them from having their packages searched. Vendors cannot legally turn to USPS as a way to ship vape supplies or devices when the new law goes into effect March 27, 2021. If you are not shipping illegal items, then it was intercepted for mailability determination. This is very important, especially if you are actually innocent of any wrongdoing, because anything you say after you are Mirandized can be used as evidence against you. Many of these investigations center around individuals using the United States Postal Service to ship pounds of marijuana in overnight packages. At delivery, the mail piece is now not considered mail. It is at the point of delivery that Postal Inspectors have a search warrant. In more serious cases, the investigation begins with a knock on the door. Such fourth amendment prohibitions dont necessarily attach to searches by private companies such as UPS and FedEx. If drugs are found, a "controlled delivery" of the package will be conducted by undercover officers.Basically, a controlled delivery is simply an undercover cop dressing up as a mailman, driving the mail truck to the address, and even delivering mail to neighbors to make the delivery seem more believable. The report found several reasons, a.k.a . So, what happens when USPS finds drugs? This is to reduce the risk of the prescription being altered by the person filling them. The Inspection Service also seized more than 34,000 pounds of marijuana and 1,100 pounds of cocaine. The postal service is a federal agency and youre shipping drugs across state lines. Answer (1 of 4): In order to understand this, you have to back up a bit. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Feds use dogs to sniff out drugs in mail packages. UPS can "intercept" a package that they feel is suspicious. An incorrect or incomplete address can cause your package to get stuck in transit. How do I enable in-stream ads on Facebook? Will USPS reimburse for lost package? If law enforcement seizes a package with drugs, it might attempt a "controlled deliver." In controlled delivery, UPS or FedEx will deliver the package (often with a delay). The agency's failure to take steps to cover up the plant's pungent smell is a key reason. Postal inspectors can screen packages to check for drugs like marijuana and other substances. Postal inspectors in Florida and throughout the United States investigate the shipment of illegal drugs, firearms, and other forms of contraband through the U.S. Furthermore, shipments entering and exiting extended urban areas are now more certain to be checked. Commercial Photography: How To Get The Right Shots And Be Successful, Nikon Coolpix P510 Review: Helps You Take Cool Snaps, 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Marshmallow, Technological Advancements: How Technology Has Changed Our Lives (In A Bad Way), 15 Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for your Android Lollipop, Awe-Inspiring Android Apps Fabulous Five, IM Graphics Plugin Review: You Dont Need A Graphic Designer, 20 Best free fitness apps for Android devices. Postal Inspection Service seizes nonmailable items including drugs, currency (cash or money), firearms, or other items. A package's outward form and weight may always be examined without reasonable suspicion of criminal . Sign up to make sure you get your free consultation. Scanning adds protection capacity to the USPS's legal limitations, which dissuades most but not all. When you try to send drugs from overseas by airmail using the US postal service, you are just asking for trouble. The increased charges, combined with a new rule aimed at curbing the flow of illegal drugs, has had significant impacts for some. (all You Need To Know), Does Costco Sell Plan B? If you were thinking you might be scared, you would be right. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Our criminal defense law firms can defend you against drug trafficking charges. USPS holds packages to general standards. Penalties if you get caught shipping edibles are based on weight. In the Tampa Bay area, these cases are prosecuted in the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division. Weve shipped and got hundreds of products (the majority of which were successfully tracked) with very few problems. And when they will open criminally classified mail.. Obviously that is not the full story, so for all the facts, including whether USPS can arrest you for mailing drugs, how USPS checks for them, whether prescriptions are okay and much more, keep reading below for all you need to know! Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. After all, trying to send narcotics, including o*ioids such as h*roin, mar*juana (even now in decriminalized jurisdictions), and prescription drugs, is a felony. In FY 2013, the U.S. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Does USPS Scan or X-Ray Packages? If drugs are found, a "controlled delivery" of the package will be conducted by undercover officers. Even if you are just sending vapes as a gift to someone else, you can receive a felony charge, and even if youre having a simple misunderstanding, you can both get arrested, and have to turn down any plea deal. 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