If you are accused of a drug crime in West Palm Beach, an experienced drug trafficking attorney from Salnick Law, P.A. can help.
A drug courier or drug mule is an individual who transports illegal drugs across international borders in exchange for a large amount of money. Drug couriers are recruited through different means and are not often provided with clear details of what they will be doing.
In most cases, these people are not fully aware of what they are involved with. Drug couriers caught by authorities face harsh punishments, including penalties and jail time. Usually, drug couriers are recruited by drug traffickers using the following channels.
Social media has become a hunting ground for those involved in the drug trade. In 2019, two Americans were caught trafficking large quantities of illegal cocaine and methamphetamine from Mexico into the United States.
These individuals admitted they had been recruited via Facebook ads that solicited “individuals looking for work” and offered “an opportunity to make money.” In addition to Facebook ads, drug cartels use other social channels such as Twitter, Tik Tok, and YouTube for extortion.
Newspaper ads have become a popular means of recruiting drug couriers in Mexico. Mexico’s cartels are increasingly using this tactic because it is less expensive for drug smuggling gangs and difficult for authorities to intercept.
In most cases, drug cartels hide the actual details of these ads and generally advertise jobs for cashiers, house cleaners, and guards, specifying that qualifying applicants will need to drive cars to the United States legally.
This trend has increased drug smuggling to San Diego, with 39 individuals claiming to have fallen for this trick arrested at the city’s border checkpoints. Police have also seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 75 pounds of cocaine, and 3,400 pounds of marijuana.
In other instances, drug couriers are recruited through word of mouth by gang members, friends, or even family members who are already involved in the drug business. These individuals are usually provided with scanty information and promised good money for transporting company products across the border.
In San Diego a former student of Chula Vista High School recruited several of his friends to transport drugs across the Mexico and U.S. border.
Sometimes, drug mules are individuals who find themselves in the hands of the drug traffickers and gangs involved in the drug trade. These people may be fully aware of what they are being asked to do but are being coerced or threatened with financial or bodily harm.
Drug trafficking cases are incredibly serious and can lead to possible jail terms and high monetary penalties. If you are accused of a drug crime in West Palm Beach, an experienced drug trafficking attorney from Salnick Law, P.A. can help. Contact us online or call us at 561-286-8570 to schedule a consultation with our lead West Palm Beach drug trafficking attorney, Michael Salnick.
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