Common Omaha Drug Crimes

Some of the most common Omaha drug crimes include possession, possession with intent to distribute, and drug trafficking. Someone who is stopped and searched by state patrol while traveling on Interstate 80, for example, could be charged if police find large amounts of marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, or heroin in his/her car.

Drug crimes can also occur at train stations where law enforcement may search luggage for narcotics. Some drugs in Omaha are sent through the mail, as there are many ways drugs get into the city. If you are facing charges, reach out to a knowledgeable drug attorney.

Search and Seizure of Drugs

The legality of an officer’s method for finding and seizing drugs is of great concern to the courts. When police illegally search someone, subsequent evidence is often suppressed, and the case may be dismissed under the exclusionary rules of the Fourth Amendment. It is critical for defendants to understand his/her rights when it comes to search and seizure.

What Places do Law Enforcement Target?

Law enforcement targets places where they are likely to find narcotics. They often seek big payoff targets as opposed to a user on the street. The police look for out-of-state plates, suspicious behavior, and go to places where they believe drug trafficking occurs. They investigate Omaha train stations because they know that is the logistical method by which most illegal drugs come into the city.

Legal Drug Arrests

Many law enforcement officers believe that most drugs come into the state through cartels. Therefore, they target people they think are involved with the cartel and try to make arrests. Law enforcement’s goal is to arrest someone and get the individual to talk and give more information. Law enforcement may uncover a massive drug conspiracy where several people are federally indicted for possession with intent to distribute drugs as well as money-laundering, which begins with someone being arrested.

Law enforcement must have a valid reason to pull someone over, and they cannot pull someone over just because the driver has an out-of-state plate or because of his/her gender or race. Police must be suspicious of illegal activity beyond a reasonable doubt before stopping someone.

Police may only pull over a car if they witness a valid traffic violation, according to the Supreme Court. Since common Omaha drug crimes usually involve a traffic stop, a qualified attorney may do a Fourth Amendment analysis to determine whether the subsequent detention, search, and arrest were also legal.

Cracking Down on Common Drug Crimes in Omaha

Omaha has a drug task force that uses different strategies to crack down on drug-related offenses, and they focus on trying to stop interstate drug traffic. It is their goal to stop narcotics from coming into Omaha by aggressively patrolling the roads, highways, interstate, train stations, and any other ports where narcotics might enter the city. Throughout Omaha, drug task forces involve state patrol, the sheriff’s office, and local police, and they make arrests at every possible level and work back up the chain.

This results in a dry conspiracy where people who are being arrested may face 10 years to life on federal drug charges. The federal government may offer to reduce sentences in return for cooperation and information, but some people feel pressured to give as many names as they can to garner favor. For this reason, the defendants in these circumstances should call a seasoned attorney to learn more about common Omaha drug crimes.