Drug trafficking casts a wide net of negative consequences across both consuming and producing nations, straining economies and eroding public safety. It is a multifaceted trade, with gangs and cartels specializing in different processes along the supply chain and often operating at global scale. The twin motives of profit and power sustain the trade, which attracts a range of criminals from those seeking financial survival, to ruthless leaders of multinational empires.
A key goal of Europol’s efforts, besides the apprehension and interdiction of supplies, is to undermine those twin motives. Drug trafficking fuels violent conflict, destabilises governments and destroys communities. And it costs societies dearly, imposing an economic burden on local markets and exacerbating social problems such as poverty, lack of job opportunities and instability.
The laws of most states (including those of California) and the federal government prohibit drug trafficking. To be convicted of this crime, prosecutors must establish that you knew or should have known that the drugs you possessed were illegal and intended to sell them, dispense or otherwise distribute them. They must also prove that you possessed the drugs in quantities that meet threshold amounts set by state and/or federal law.
The State’s evidence is usually physical: lab tests of the drugs found on you and any documents pertaining to their origin. If you can challenge the accuracy or reliability of this evidence or show that undercover officers or confidential informants pressured you into trafficking drugs, then you can raise reasonable doubt in your case and may be able to get your charges dismissed or reduced.
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