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52-399: The basic structure of a drug cartel is as follows: There are other operating groups within the drug cartels. For example, the drug producers and suppliers, although not considered in the basic structure, are critical operators of any drug cartel, along with the smugglers , distributors , sales representatives , accountants and money launderers . Furthermore, the arms suppliers operate in

104-605: A bill in Congress to create the Department of Justice. President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill into law on June 22, 1870. Grant appointed Amos T. Akerman as attorney general and Benjamin H. Bristow as America's first solicitor general the same week that Congress created the Department of Justice. The Department's immediate function was to preserve civil rights. It set about fighting against domestic terrorist groups who had been using both violence and litigation to oppose

156-534: A cabinet member with a strong political base, but he seldom spoke up. Following unsuccessful efforts in 1830 and 1846 to make attorney general a full-time job, in 1867, the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary , led by Congressman William Lawrence , conducted an inquiry into the creation of a "law department" headed by the attorney general and also composed of the various department solicitors and United States attorneys . On February 19, 1868, Lawrence introduced

208-781: A completely different circle; they are technically not considered part of the cartel's logistics. Mexican cartels (also known in Mexico as: la Mafia (the mafia or the mob), La Maña (the skill / the bad manners), narcotraficantes (narco-traffickers), or simply as narcos usually refers to several, rival, criminal organizations that are combated by the Mexican government in the Mexican War on Drugs (List sorted by branches and heritage): Mexican academic Oswaldo Zavala, in his book Drug Cartels Do Not Exist , argues that academics, officials, journalists and writers are mistaken to label

260-607: A large contribution to the remaining figure. In all, around 18% of the UK's female jail population are foreigners, 60% of whom are serving sentences for drug-related offences – most of them drug mules. United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice ( DOJ ), also known as the Justice Department , is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with

312-569: A less-tightly knit Italian-American community have largely reduced their power, they remain an active force in the underworld. Colombia is the largest producer of cocaine in the world, and cocaine production in Colombia reached an all-time high in 2017. Active Colombian drug cartels: Historical Colombian drug cartels: Historically Venezuela has been a path to the United States for illegal drugs originating in Colombia , through Central America and Mexico and Caribbean countries such as Haiti ,

364-401: A mule or bait. The contraband is attached to the outside of the body using adhesive tape , glue , or straps , often in such places as between the cheeks of the buttocks or between rolls of fat. Other inconspicuous places, like the soles of cut out shoes, inside belts, or the rim of a hat, were used more often prior to the early 1990s. Due to increased airport security the "body packing" method

416-455: A risk of packet rupture and should not be used. Repeat imaging is only necessary if the mule does not know the packet count. Ruptured packets can be fatal and often require treatment as for a drug overdose and may require admission to an intensive care unit. Body packers are not always reliable sources of information about the contents of the packages (either because of fears about information being passed on to law enforcement agencies or because

468-405: A variety of age groups, including adults, teens, and children. Routine detection of the smuggled packets is extremely difficult, and many cases come to light because a packet has ruptured or because of intestinal obstruction. Unruptured packets may sometimes be detected by rectal or vaginal examination, but the only reliable way is by X-ray of the abdomen. Hashish appears denser than stool, cocaine

520-464: A website that supported the USA PATRIOT Act . It was criticized by government watchdog groups for its alleged violation of U.S. Code Title 18 Section 1913, which forbids money appropriated by Congress to be used to lobby in favor of any law, actual or proposed. The website has since been taken offline. On October 5, 2021, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco has announced the formation of

572-465: Is a blanket (and somewhat inaccurate) term for the various organized crime groups that emerged in this period from the 15 former republics of the USSR and unlike their Italian counterparts does not mean members are necessarily of Russian ethnicity or uphold any ancient criminal traditions, although this is the case for some members. See also Caucasus Emirate Balkan organized crime gained prominence in

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624-406: Is approximately the same density as stool, while heroin looks like air. An increasingly popular type of swallowing involves having the drug in the form of liquid-filled balloons or condoms/packages. These are impossible to detect unless the airport has high-sensitivity X-Ray equipment, as a liquid mixture of water and the drug will most likely not be detected using a standard X-Ray machine. Most of

676-484: Is for swallowers to willingly accept the job in exchange for big payoffs. As reported in Lost Rights by James Bovard : "Nigerian drug lords have employed an army of 'swallowers', those who will swallow as many as 150 balloons and smuggle drugs into the United States . Given the per capita yearly income of Nigeria is $ 2,100, Nigerians can collect as much as $ 15,000 per trip." Swallowers have been apprehended from

728-430: Is often done using a mule's gastrointestinal tract or other body cavities as containers. Swallowing has been used for the transportation of heroin , cocaine , and MDMA (ecstasy). A swallower typically fills tiny balloons with small quantities of a drug. The balloons may be made with multilayered condoms , fingers of latex gloves , or more sophisticated hollow pellets . One smuggling method involves swallowing

780-420: Is rarely used any more. Some narcotics-trafficking organizations, such as the Mexican cartels , will purposely send one or two people with drugs on the outside of their body to purposely be caught, so that the authorities are preoccupied while dozens of mules pass by undetected with drugs inside their body. However, even these diversionary tactics are becoming less prevalent as airport security increases. This

832-517: The 13th , 14th , and 15th Amendments to the Constitution. Both Akerman and Bristow used the Department of Justice to vigorously prosecute Ku Klux Klan members in the early 1870s. In the first few years of Grant's first term in office, there were 1000 indictments against Klan members, with over 550 convictions from the Department of Justice. By 1871, there were 3000 indictments and 600 convictions, with most only serving brief sentences, while

884-873: The Dominican Republic , and Puerto Rico . According to the United Nations , there has been an increase of cocaine trafficking through Venezuela since 2002. In 2005, Venezuela severed ties with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), accusing its representatives of spying. Following the departure of the DEA from Venezuela and the expansion of DEA's partnership with Colombia in 2005, Venezuela became more attractive to drug traffickers. Between 2008 and 2012, Venezuela's cocaine seizure ranking among other countries declined, going from being ranked fourth in

936-640: The U.S. Attorneys' Offices for each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts . The U.S. Congress created the Justice Department in 1870 during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant . The Justice Department's functions originally date to 1789, when Congress created the office of the Attorney General. The office of the attorney general was established by the Judiciary Act of 1789 as a part-time job for one person, but grew with

988-459: The bureaucracy . At one time, the attorney general gave legal advice to the U.S. Congress , as well as the president ; however, in 1819, the attorney general began advising Congress alone to ensure a manageable workload. Until 1853, the salary of the attorney general was set by statute at less than the amount paid to other Cabinet members. Early attorneys general supplemented their salaries by running private law practices, often arguing cases before

1040-574: The federal government took on some law enforcement responsibilities, and the Department of Justice was tasked with performing these. In 1884, control of federal prisons was transferred to the new department, from the Department of the Interior . New facilities were built, including the penitentiary at Leavenworth in 1895, and a facility for women located in West Virginia , at Alderson

1092-590: The Attorney General's office in the Department of Justice Main Building in Washington, D.C. The building was renamed in honor of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy in 2001. It is sometimes referred to as "Main Justice". The Justice Department also had a War Division during World War II . It was created in 1942 and disestablished in 1945. Several federal law enforcement agencies are administered by

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1144-498: The Department of Justice) "who prosecutes on behalf of justice (or the Lady Justice)". The motto's conception of the prosecutor (or government attorney) as being the servant of justice itself finds concrete expression in a similarly-ordered English-language inscription ("THE UNITED STATES WINS ITS POINT WHENEVER JUSTICE IS DONE ITS CITIZENS IN THE COURTS") in the above-door paneling in the ceremonial rotunda anteroom just outside

1196-467: The Department of Justice. Similarly the Office of Domestic Preparedness left the Justice Department for the Department of Homeland Security, but only for executive purposes. The Office of Domestic Preparedness is still centralized within the Department of Justice, since its personnel are still officially employed within the Department of Justice. In 2003, the Department of Justice created LifeAndLiberty.gov,

1248-613: The Department of Justice: In March 2003, the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service was abolished and its functions transferred to the United States Department of Homeland Security . The Executive Office for Immigration Review and the Board of Immigration Appeals , which review decisions made by government officials under Immigration and Nationality law, remain under jurisdiction of

1300-610: The Department of the Interior, the prosecution of all federal crimes, and the representation of the United States in all court actions, barring the use of private attorneys by the federal government. The law also created the office of Solicitor General to supervise and conduct government litigation in the Supreme Court of the United States . With the passage of the Interstate Commerce Act in 1887,

1352-561: The Italian mafias in that they originated centuries ago and follow a rigid set of traditions, but have several aspects that make them unique, such as their full-body tattoos and their fairly open place in Japanese society. Many yakuza groups are umbrella organizations, smaller gangs reporting to a larger crime syndicate. The Triads is a popular name for a number of Chinese criminal secret societies, which have existed in various forms over

1404-815: The United States' federal law enforcement agencies , including the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the U.S. Marshals Service , the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives , the Drug Enforcement Administration , and the Federal Bureau of Prisons . The department also has eight divisions of lawyers who represent the U.S. federal government in litigation: the Criminal , Civil , Antitrust , Tax , Civil Rights , Environment and Natural Resources , National Security , and Justice Management Divisions . The department also includes

1456-399: The balloons, and sell the drugs. It is most common for the swallower to be making the trip on behalf of a drug lord or drug dealer. Swallowers are often impoverished and agree to transport the drugs in exchange for money or other favors. In fewer cases, the drug dealers can attempt extortion against people by threatening physical harm against friends or family, but the more common practice

1508-405: The balloons, which are recovered later from the excreted feces . Alternatively, the balloons may be hidden in other natural or artificial body cavities – such as rectum , colostomy , vagina, and mouth – although this method is far more vulnerable to body cavity searches . A drug mule may swallow dozens upon dozens of balloons. The swallower then attempts to cross international borders, excrete

1560-406: The balloons. She was being held because her abdomen was noticeably swollen (she claimed to be pregnant ), and a search of her body had revealed that she was wearing two pairs of elastic underpants and had lined her crotch area with paper towels. This is done because balloon swallowing makes bowel movements difficult to control. The woman claimed her Fourth Amendment rights had been violated, but

1612-613: The border from Hong Kong to Shenzhen . According to Customs Law of China and Smuggling Penalties, a person shall be subject to a criminal charge if found smuggling small quantities of goods three times in one year. The maximum jail sentence is three years. The U.S. Supreme Court dealt with body packing in United States v. Montoya De Hernandez . In Hernandez , a woman attempted to smuggle 88 balloons of cocaine in her gastrointestinal tract. She had been detained for over 16 hours by customs inspectors before she finally passed some of

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1664-576: The centuries (see for example Tiandihui ). However, not all Chinese gangs fall into line with these traditional groups, as many non-traditional criminal organizations have formed, both in China and the Chinese diaspora. Although organized crime existed in the Soviet era, the gangs really gained in power and international reach during the transition to capitalism . The term Russian Mafia , 'mafiya' or mob

1716-412: The chaos following the communist era, notably the transition to capitalism and the wars in former Yugoslavia . Mule (smuggling) A mule or courier is someone who personally smuggles contraband across a border (as opposed to sending by mail, etc.) for a smuggling organization . The organizers employ mules to reduce the risk of getting caught themselves. Methods of smuggling include hiding

1768-569: The court found in favor of the border authorities. With regard to traffic from South America to the US, the US Drug Enforcement Administration reports: "Unlike cocaine, heroin is often smuggled by people who swallow large numbers of small capsules (50–90), allowing them to transport up to 1.5 kilograms of heroin. In 2003, over 50% of foreign female prisoners in UK jails were drug mules from Jamaica. Nigerian women make

1820-509: The courts as attorneys for paying litigants. The lightness of the office is exemplified by Edward Bates (1793–1869), Attorney General under Abraham Lincoln (1861 to 1864). Bates had only a small operation, with a staff of six. The main function was to generate legal opinions at the request of Lincoln and cabinet members, and handle occasional cases before the Supreme Court. Lincoln's cabinet was full of experienced lawyers who seldom felt

1872-407: The criminal gangs as cartels, noting that they do not meet the definition due to the competitive nature of the drugs trade, and the lack of hierarchal structure. He states that the Mexican state perpetuates the label to justify their militarised response. Note: As of 2020 the DEA considered the cartels of Sinaloa-Beltran, Juarez-Linea, Jalisco, Golfo-Noreste-Zetas, La Familia and Rojos-Guerreros to be

1924-456: The enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United States. It is equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries. The department is headed by the U.S. attorney general , who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of the president's Cabinet . The current attorney general is Merrick Garland , who has served since March 2021. The Justice Department contains most of

1976-792: The expulsion." Their expulsion was ordered by a commission of the Venezuelan Senate headed by Senator Cristobal Fernandez Dalo and his money laundering investigator, Thor Halvorssen Hellum . They were arrested in September 1992 at Fiumicino airport (Rome), and in 1996 were sentenced to 13–20 years. In May 2015, The Wall Street Journal reported from United States officials that drug trafficking in Venezuela increased significantly with Colombian drug traffickers moving from Colombia to Venezuela due to pressure from law enforcement. One United States Department of Justice official described

2028-431: The goods in a large vehicle, luggage, or clothes. In a vehicle, the contraband is hidden in secret compartments. Sometimes the goods are hidden in the bag or vehicle of an innocent person, who does not know about the contraband, for the purpose of retrieving the goods elsewhere. Some contraband is legal to possess but is subject to taxes or other import restrictions, such as second-hand clothes and computers , and

2080-408: The goods in vehicles or carried items, attaching them to one's body, or using the body as a container. In the case of transporting illegal drugs , the term drug mule applies. Other slang terms include Kinder Surprise and Easter Egg . Small-scale operations, in which one courier carries one piece or a very small quantity, are sometimes called the ant trade . Methods of smuggling include hiding

2132-541: The higher ranks of the Venezuelan government and military as "a criminal organization", with high ranking Venezuelan officials, such as National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello , being accused of drug trafficking. Those involved with investigations stated that Venezuelan government defectors and former traffickers had given information to investigators and that details of those involved in government drug trafficking were increasing. The yakuza of Japan are similar to

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2184-545: The major airports in Europe, Canada, and the US have the more sensitive machines. In most cases, it is only necessary to wait for the packets to pass normally , but if a packet ruptures or if there is intestinal obstruction, then it may be necessary to operate and surgically remove the packets. Oil-based laxatives should never be used, as they can weaken the latex of condoms and cause packets to rupture. Emetics like syrup of ipecac , enemas , and endoscopic retrieval all carry

2236-725: The most influential cartels in Mexico. The United States of America is the world's largest consumer of cocaine and other illegal drugs. This is a list of American criminal organizations involved in illegal drug traffic, drug trade and other related crimes in the United States: Italian immigrants to the United States in the early 19th century formed various small-time gangs which gradually evolved into sophisticated crime syndicates which dominated organized crime in America for several decades. Although government crackdowns and

2288-473: The mule genuinely does not know). Urine toxicology may be necessary to determine what drugs are being carried and what antidotes are needed. Some mobile phones and electronics are available for less in Hong Kong , one of China's Special Administrative Regions where the tax laws are relaxed. Mules employed by smugglers have been found with devices strapped to their bodies in an effort to smuggle them across

2340-617: The need to ask for his opinions. Bates had no authority over the US Attorneys around the country. The federal court system was handled by the Interior Department; the Treasury handled claims. Most of the opinions turned out by Bates's office were of minor importance. Lincoln gave him no special assignments and did not seek his advice on Supreme Court appointments. Bates did have an opportunity to comment on general policy as

2392-536: The original intended meaning of the Latin motto appearing on the Department of Justice seal, Qui Pro Domina Justitia Sequitur (literally "Who For Lady Justice Strives"). It is not even known exactly when the original version of the DOJ seal itself was adopted, or when the motto first appeared on the seal. The most authoritative opinion of the DOJ suggests that the motto refers to the Attorney General (and thus, by extension, to

2444-409: The purpose of the smuggling is to get around these restrictions. In this case, smuggling may be done in plain sight, in smaller quantities, so that a suitcase full of used clothes or a new computer can be passed off as a personal possession rather than an importing business. The practice of transporting goods outside or inside of the body is called body packing. This is done by a person usually called

2496-629: The ringleaders were imprisoned for up to five years in the federal penitentiary in Albany, New York . The result was a dramatic decrease in violence in the South. Akerman gave credit to Grant and told a friend that no one was "better" or "stronger" than Grant when it came to prosecuting terrorists. George H. Williams , who succeeded Akerman in December 1871, continued to prosecute the Klan throughout 1872 until

2548-436: The spring of 1873, during Grant's second term in office. Williams then placed a moratorium on Klan prosecutions partially because the Justice Department, inundated by cases involving the Klan, did not have the manpower to continue prosecutions. The "Act to Establish the Department of Justice" drastically increased the attorney general's responsibilities to include the supervision of all United States attorneys, formerly under

2600-400: The world for cocaine seizures in 2008 to sixth in the world in 2012. The cartel groups involved include: Pasquale, Paolo and Gaspare Cuntrera were expelled from Venezuela in 1992, "almost secretly smuggled out of the country, as if it concerned one of their own drug transports. It was imperative they could not contact people on the outside who could have used their political connections to stop

2652-425: Was completed in 1935 from a design by Milton Bennett Medary . Upon Medary's death in 1929, the other partners of his Philadelphia firm Zantzinger, Borie and Medary took over the project. On a lot bordered by Constitution and Pennsylvania Avenues and Ninth and Tenth Streets, Northwest, it holds over 1,000,000 square feet (93,000 m ) of space. Various efforts, none entirely successful, have been made to determine

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2704-615: Was established in 1924. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an executive order which gave the Department of Justice responsibility for the "functions of prosecuting in the courts of the United States claims and demands by, and offsenses [ sic ] against, the Government of the United States, and of defending claims and demands against the Government, and of supervising the work of United States attorneys, marshals, and clerks in connection therewith, now exercised by any agency or officer..." The U.S. Department of Justice building

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