DEA Can’t Do Its Own Job – Calls in Blackwater to Raid Medical Marijuana Providers
August 1st, 2008Posted by Rebecca Saltzman
Yesterday, the DEA raided a medical marijuana dispensary in Culver City, spending hours on site detaining employees and ultimately leaving the facility in disarray. This is unfortunately not an unusal story. Since 2005, the DEA has raided dozens of state-sanctioned dispensaries in California.
But this time was different. We’re used to the DEA calling in help from various federal agencies and local law enforcement. But I guess none of their usual buddies were available yesterday because from the picture below, which appeared in the LA Times today, it looks like they had to resort to calling in Blackwater:
The DEA often likes to say that medical marijuana is not their top priority (though at the height of the raids last year, they were raiding an average of one dispensary per week). They like to argue that medical marijuana raids do not take resources away from other drug interdiction. Yet this photo makes me wonder – if they have sufficient resources to shut down meth labs and to bust medical marijuana providers, why do they need the help of Blackwater, a private agency?
Yet another reason we need Congress to hold oversight hearings on DEA medical marijuana activities. Good to know that House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers is concerned about this issue and has already begun to question the DEA on its actions.
August 1st, 2008 at 7:21 pm
For those of you who do not know, Balckwater Worldwide is a private military company that rents soldiers of fortune, commonly called “contractors,” for military operations in Iraq and elsewhere. That the DEA employees the same mercenaries accused of war crimes in Iraq to enforce anti-medical cannabis laws in California should give any patriotic Americans a chill. Is it possible that medical cannabis represents a threat comparable to Al Qaeda? Do we need the Pentagon’s largest private para-military contractor confiscating medicine in Culver City? The desperation of the Department of Justice in this matter just reinforces the growing realization that the clock is ticking on the unethical federal crusade of interference and intimidation.
August 1st, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Is it not at all possible that that particular DEA agent has worked for Blackwater in the past and had the shirt on underneath the standard issue tactical gear?
August 1st, 2008 at 10:14 pm
What can patients do to help positively impact our congress people into supporting Congressional oversight hearings?
August 2nd, 2008 at 5:48 am
You should know that the LA Times pulled the photo of this Blackwater paramilitary operative from their story. Does this surprise anyone?
August 2nd, 2008 at 8:14 am
the end of america,and the secret history of the american empire should be prerequisite reading for all:chill?I though it was frost,but the ground was really frozen. all reasons blackwater included why I won’t be a world traveler anytime soon.
eisenhower beseeched the american public in the early 1960’s: beware the powers of the military industrial complex:america your still asleep wake up!
August 2nd, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I think that is way to much now we must not tolerate this.
August 3rd, 2008 at 2:06 am
[...] City medicinal marijuana cooperative by DEA agents wasn’t enough, it’s now become apparent that this raid wasn’t conducted not only by DEA agents, but also by Blackwater employees. [...]
August 3rd, 2008 at 10:20 am
Or maybe the DEA agent was just wearing a t-shirt he got at some convention or from a buddy. (I’m sure he’ll get in trouble for that though.)
August 3rd, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Fantastic insight. We need this picture to go around the world. I’m putting it on myspace /jeffreytaos. Though it is difficult to take a stand these days, my views have never changed. Marijuana is a medicine and because it is such a valuable medicine, it absolutely should be a right. Now back to the story, it’s a fantastic image. I would suggest caregivers, members of CB’s, and readers all write letters to the LA TIMES thanking them for this story. A picture is worth a thousand words. You need to move this story to alternet and also to any other alternative news sight you can find. Indy news should also try to carry this photo. The photo reveals exactly what is going on in America, and what we are all fighting for, not just medical marijuana, but a state free of police repression in our homes, a state free of private solders doing the work of corporate lobbyists, a state free of antiquated ideas. The Catholic Church during the Inquisition could not have done a better job of hiring and training inquisitors. This young man in the photograph is well aware of the hypocrisy he is caught in the middle of. How fantastic it would be if we could get an interview of the young man in the photograph, and an in-depth analysis of his life, background and views. I knew a nice pot-smoking fellow who once had an offer to be employed by Blackwater. His primary interest was the money that they offered to him and his family. It’s sad that there are not enough decent jobs in America, and that young people would feel so desperate a need as to want to be employed by such radical neo-corps such as BlackWater. Funny, just a few years ago, people hardly knew Blackwater existed or that it was real. Now they are digging through our private spaces as if they were real police or solders. Well, to the ones who are victimized by Blackwater, it’s very real. There is no conspiracy here, just a federal government that has far superceded it’s boundaries as delegated by the voters of these precious lands.
Jeffrey Dillon
New Mexico
August 3rd, 2008 at 7:47 pm
This photo is not on the La Times website. We should ask them to post it. The single photo is more powerful than all the other photos combined. Whether or not this Can Club was in compliance of the law, or whether or not people believe that the intentions are altruistic, the facts remain, Prop 215 was voted in by the people of the state of California, and Blackwater is being used to try to squelch the people’s rights to make decisions regarding their own lives.
Jeff
August 4th, 2008 at 9:49 am
It does seem very odd that the LA Times took this photo down, less than an hour after I posted it here.
It’s true that it could be just a shirt that the DEA agent is wearing but that’s pretty irresponsible of him. It’s important to be able to tell who the raiding agency is so if the agents aren’t wearing marked DEA uniforms, that’s a problem in and of itself. Of course, there’s a bigger problem if that man does work for Blackwater.
The DEA has increasingly been working with Blackwater on drug interdiction efforts so the idea of them using Blackwater agents for a medical marijuana raid is not a far jump.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Blackwater received a $15 billion contract to work on domestic narco-terrorism last year. This appears to be the outcome!
Note that every other law enforcement official is wearing a uniform that identifies him or her by agency. It is safe to assume this man is who he appears to be.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
[...] more: A medical marijuana website may have been the first to draw attention to the picture, noting, “We’re used to the DEA [...]
August 4th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
[...] agent conducting a raid on a state-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensary in Culver City, posted last week by ASA’s Rebecca Saltzman, has attracted significant online attention. The photo [...]
August 4th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
[...] Rebecca Saltzman has more here. [...]
August 4th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
[...] Friday, the L.A. Times posted the picture, without commentary, to accompany the online article on the Culver City [...]
August 5th, 2008 at 9:38 am
WHY are there privat military forces deployed on our soil to fight a war on LEGAL MMJ patients. Shouldnt they go after the big pharmiceutical companies who are lying about the safety of their Billion $ pills. it is my understanding that the Blackwater employees get paid above 100K year. whay isnt that tax-payers money sent to the local law enforcement budgets. 1 BW employee = 2 Law Enforcement Officers. let local LEO’s enforce the laws within their jurisdiction.
How is it legal for the U.S. Government to wage war on its own people. and it is the sick, disabled and terminally ill who they are targeting.
F**k this type of governing rule.
it’s not “…for the people…” rather “for the $$$”
Rick C5-6 quadripalegic.
August 6th, 2008 at 8:42 am
[...] DEA Can’t Do Its Own Job – Calls in Blackwater to Raid Medical Marijuana Providers [...]
August 6th, 2008 at 11:53 am
[...] of some shoot-first incidents to do their dirty work against sick people and states’ rights? Not necessarily, of course. Blackwater started as a state-of-the-art firing range/training facility for law [...]
August 6th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
[...] medical marijuana website may have been the first to draw attention to the picture, noting, “We’re used to the DEA [...]
August 25th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
“Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl was called to the scene by the owner and arrived several hours after the raid began. Rosendahl, standing outside the gate to the store’s parking lot, said he was frustrated that there was nothing he could do to intervene. The dispensary straddles the boundary between Los Angeles and Culver City, Rosendahl said. Culver City police assisted federal agents at the scene.”
Besides the blackwater guy?, why is the CCPD assisting them at all that is a real lawbreaker? In any raids I have seen footage the PD/Sherriff just clear the front and stop protesters. can anyone elaborate on that statement.
I have asked the LA times writer to elaborate on the statement.
Also why did they take flat TV screens, and clean out the ATM machine.
The ATM Machine may belong to a third party. This just looks like legalized robbery.
Pursuant to the Constitution of the State of California,
Amendment III, Section 3.5(c), state enforcement officials have no power to refuse to enforce a statute on the basis that federal law or federal regulations prohibit the enforcement of such statute. It is therefore your legal duty and responsibility to respect and obey this agreement per the above cited legislation, and to leave the individuals herein described unmolested and unreported to federal authorities. Failure to follow state law may result in legal action being
taken against you.
That’s my 2 cents
Stay Vigilant and Be safe.
January 11th, 2009 at 6:38 am
Apparently, research here is optional.
The man in the photograph is a DEA Agent. He does NOT work for Blackwater or any of it’s affiliates.
Keep those tinfoil hats tight, fellas.
January 21st, 2009 at 10:50 am
This is just way out of line….The AG set guidlines for MCD’s and not only are the DEA continuing to raid in Cali. but now wasting more money sub-contracting these evil deeds to mercs. Don, I see that (as usual) you are calm cool and collected. This just angers me to no end. I have had it with the establishment that won’t allow the medicinal value of cannabis to be shared with the world. I am up for a protest of all protests. I just can’t believe the DEA…What a pack of heartless fools. How do they sleep at night?
Rick-
San Diego
January 29th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Blackwater is now in the crosshairs of patriots. Mercenaries are not afforded the same respect, nor do they have ANY authority over Americans. We voted, we are the people, we decide what we want in our states. We are America, and we will not cower to mercs. Remember what happened to the Blackwater mercs in Falujah? I cheered! That is what happens to NWO scum and their little gaurd dogs.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Marijuana both interferes with there societal conditioning of the masses’ minds, as well as gives people a stress relief that poses no threat to anyone and cannot be regulated and taxed successfully.
October 24th, 2009 at 5:34 am
I am leaving at the end of november to work for Blackwater. I believe that it is a great organization. The ones i noticed that is against this picture are the same ones that want to fight to legalize marijana but do not want to fight for their country,