Austinist: Snapshots: $335.9 Million Worth of Cocaine, Marijuana, and Methamphetamines

Stan

Thu, 31 May 2007 13:47:30 -0600

Anyone who thinks that the government (and Wall Street) aren't make a huge profit on the illegal drug trade isn't paying attention or is in denial. Read "Crossing the Rubicon".

Bob Dobbs

Thu, 31 May 2007 13:17:35 -0600

They seized 96,000 lbs of marijuana, and still, I don't know anyone who has trouble finding their own stash. The drug war is more proof that our elected officials are a band of contemptible robots.

dave

Thu, 31 May 2007 13:11:00 -0600

"Our troopers lead the nation in drug seizures on a yearly basis, but now they have set a new standard of excellence" Because there is no other real crime to worry about or anything? Drugs are bad, drug laws worse. Prohibition has never worked and never will work. The drugs wouldn't have any signficant "street value" and people wouldn't be getting killed over this stuff if it were all legal. We are spending way too much on interdiction, incarceration for something which is just a matter of personal choice to use drugs. I am responsible for the consequences of my choices and as far as I can tell my taking or not taking drugs does nothing to infringe on your similar rights.

TheMilkman

Thu, 31 May 2007 12:20:53 -0600

I'm glad my parents weren't TX state troopers. I would have been screwed when I was in high school.

David

Thu, 31 May 2007 12:02:28 -0600

How much made it through? How do they know the dollar value? Drugs prices are drastically different around the United States. Unlike gas the cost of drugs has not changed much. I am sure they are proud of their bust but it has had little effect on the street. I would think the meth bust will be much higher next year considering a majority of it is beggining to come from Mexico. Cocaine appears to be making quite a comeback. Every time I go to the restroom at a bar there is always a line for the stall but not the urinal???

Jon

Thu, 31 May 2007 11:24:00 -0600

267 pounds of meth doesn't seem like very much... I guess most of it is still made inside the US. (or maybe it's just more difficult to detect)

treasure

Thu, 31 May 2007 11:14:30 -0600

The coast guard just made a record cocaine bust www.enewsbuilder.net/texasbroadcasters/e_article000827148.cfm?x=b11,0,w Check out the DEA photo gallery www.usdoj.gov/dea/photo_library1.html

Sun Square Moon

Thu, 31 May 2007 11:05:31 -0600

Could also be that the street value has been greatly increased due to inflation/gas prices/the war on drugs. A more conclusive "trophy" for them to wave in the air heroically would be by weight/year in each class of drugs because rudimentary economics tells us that the price goes up every year; as it also does each time you remove some of the supply.

MattyMatt

Thu, 31 May 2007 11:04:47 -0600

The cocaine and meth are of course very bad things, but what exactly makes the confiscation of pot "good news for Texas?"

mermaidshoes

Thu, 31 May 2007 10:59:30 -0600

so seriously, what do they do with seized drugs like these? smoke 'em themselves? "dispose" of them? maybe we should pay for this ridiculous war with drug money...

Eric

Thu, 31 May 2007 10:52:53 -0600

So either they're getting that much better at finding the drugs that people so cleverly hide or drug traffic has grown that much more. Either way you cut it (no pun intended) it reflects poorly on them, like a spy agency finding a mole. Why didn't you find it sooner? If the trade has grown that much then obviously you're not doing enough to curtail both the trade and demand. Why should I be interested in the dollar value? Are they going to sell it and pay for fixing our schools? Or perhaps to pay for rehabilitation programs? Now that would be ironic.