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United States News Title: DEA Evades Punishment in Botched Marijuana Sting that Killed Informant Houston, TX — A U.S. district court judge ruled last week that the Drug Enforcement Administration is not liable for a botched marijuana sting that killed one of its own informants. The 2011 sting was an attempt to capture members of a violent Mexican drug cartel and required the informant, a truck driver, to deliver pounds of the plant to the suspects. After the plot failed, the DEA refused to take responsibility for its failure. The sting involved informant Lawrence Chapa, who worked for a small trucking company in Houston, Texas. When he delivered the drugs from Rio Grande City to a location in Houston, two dozen federal agents and local law enforcement officers were standing by. In spite of this, they were unable to stop the chaos that erupted when “hijackers” intercepted the truck in an attempt to steal the marijuana leading to a gunfight and the execution-style death of Chapa. The DEA’s inept reaction to the botched raid was so severe that, according to the Houston Chronicle, …a plainclothes Houston police officer shot and wounded a plainclothes Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy who was mistaken for a gangster. The truck was left riddled with bullet holes and spattered with blood, then impounded and later released to the trucking company’s owner, Craig Patty. It was still damaged and stained. Patty was unaware that Chapa had been an informant and was not asked permission to use his truck for the sting. He claims the failed DEA scheme disadvantaged him in multiple ways. First, his truck was out of commission for 100 days, according to legal documents. This stifled his business, which had only two trucks at the time. Further, he says he and his family lived in fear of retaliation for the failed sting and worried that cartel members may strike back against them with knowledge of the truck and company. Patty’s insurance company refused to pay for the damages because they were incurred in the midst of “illegal” activity. As such, Patty sued the DEA, asking for $133,532 to cover damages and another $1.3 million in compensation. When the Department of Justice rejected his suit, Patty sued the United States, the DEA, six federal agents and five state and local agents. He eventually dropped the charges against all parties but the U.S. government, this time demanding nearly $6.5 million in damages. Judge Lee Rosenthal dismissed the charges this week, arguing that Patty’s claims were not strong enough to incriminate the DEA. Patty’s case is yet another example of the misguided, violent, and wasteful Drug War. On one hand, it mirrors the controversial practice of civil asset forfeiture. As one of Patty’s legal representatives told the Chronicle: It is not just that you can’t sue the federal government., but that fed law enforcement agencies under this ruling can use anybody’s property to do anything they want to further their law enforcement mission and not have to go get the permission from the owner of the property to do it. Ultimately, this case—like many— highlights the lack of justice in the justice system and the incestuous nature of court rulings. While it should be surprising that the law does not protect citizens, but rather, the government, this is entirely predictable. Just like gangs and cartels, the United States government protects its own, all while portraying itself as the guardian of the American citizens that fund its power. Meanwhile, the Drug War policies that the courts defend strengthen the cartels that the DEA is attempting to eliminate. As Craig Patty—who said his main goal was shedding light on the case—said of his ordeal in 2012, How am I — a small businessman, father of three, American Joe from Texas — supposed to make a claim against a federal agency that has conveniently shrouded itself behind a red, white and blue cloak of confidentiality and secrecy? Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread |
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