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141-563: The implications of this world-traveling ability are thoroughly explored by the series. The ability to take clothing and held items across allows a phenomenally lucrative import/export trade between worlds; wielders of this power have used it to become wealthy. Invaluable modern technology and medicine can be shipped to the feudal world; illegal drugs can be shipped in a world where the DEA has no power; and packages or messages that would take months to deliver by horseback can simply be mailed via FedEx in

282-461: A fantasy series. Stross was hesitant, but gave it a shot. He wanted to be original but not "too original" and create something hard to market. He decided his series would be his own spin on both the works of Roger Zelazny 's The Chronicles of Amber , which featured a hero with special world-travelling powers, as well as the Paratime series of H. Beam Piper , which features an organization with

423-400: A captured West Coast courier. All the plans fall to pieces when the anti-Clan Prince Egon launches a coup , correctly fearing he would be denied the succession, and potentially murdered, had Creon produced an heir. The King and Creon are slain; Miriam escapes to New Britain; and Mike is captured by Miriam's mother Patricia and her ally Olga. Reviews noted that The Clan Corporate suffers from

564-757: A communications system with the Department of Defense for communication with state and regional enforcement independent of the Department of Justice and police information systems and is coordinated by an information command center called the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) near El Paso, Texas . Rapid Response Teams ( RRT ), previously known as Foreign-Deployed Advisory and Support Teams ( FAST ), were decommissioned by DEA Acting Administrator Chuck Rosenburg in March 2017 via memorandum. A need for domestic high-risk service teams led to

705-528: A considerable amount of editing and rewriting by Stross, although no major plot changes. A new trilogy began in 2017 with the release of Empire Games featuring new characters and updating the year in-setting to 2020. The first three novels of the series collectively won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History in 2006. The series was also nominated for the 2022 Hugo Award for Best Series . According to Stross, in 2001, he had already sold two books to

846-490: A controlled substance. Many problems associated with substance use disorders are the result of legitimately manufactured controlled substances being diverted from their lawful purpose into the illicit drug traffic. Many of the analgesics, depressants and stimulants manufactured for legitimate medical use can often carry the potential for addiction. Therefore, those scheduled substances have been brought under legal control for prevention and population safety. The goal of controls

987-483: A deadly adulterant in heroin have ravaged North America. An estimated 19,416 individuals died of a drug overdose in the United States in the first 3 months of 2020 compared with 16,682 in the same 3-month period in 2019; this trend was fueled by synthetic opioids (especially illicitly manufactured fentanyl and analogs). Furthermore, between May 2020 and April 2021, the estimated number of drug overdose deaths in

1128-637: A distant relation, economist, and potential love interest who would also like to be free of the Clan's machinations and prefers the United States to the feudal Gruinmarkt; Duke Angbard Lofstrom, Miriam's uncle and head of security for the Clan, as well as leader of its Boston operations; Olga, a young and flighty noble who helps explain to Miriam the politics and notables of Gruinmarkt; and Briliana and Kara, two lesser noble ladies-in-waiting assigned to Miriam's service in Gruinmarkt's capital of Niejwein. Reviews of

1269-453: A drug user or addict to the general public is a case of conflicting civil rights. Recurrently, billions of dollars are spent yearly, focusing largely on criminal law and demand reduction campaigns, which has resulted in the imprisonment of thousands of U.S. citizens. Demand for recreational drugs is somewhat static as the market for most illegal drugs has been saturated, forcing the cartels to expand their market to Europe and other areas than

1410-567: A firearm listed on an authorized carry list maintained and updated by the Firearms Training Unit (FTU), Quantico, Virginia. Special Agents may qualify with their own personally-owned handguns, rifle, and shotgun, and certain handguns are allowed to be used with permission from the FTU. Agents are required to attend tactical and firearms proficiency training quarterly, and to qualify with their handguns twice per year. The DEA has one of

1551-473: A fourth world in the grip of an Ice Age with polar sheets covering the northern States. The fourth world (Timeline 4) is seemingly empty, but shows signs of a highly advanced, dead civilization. In Timeline 2, Mike Fleming recovers from his injuries sustained in the escape from Miriam's wedding banquet. Luckily for him, the infection in his leg is not resistant to penicillin , as overuse of antibiotics has not affected Gruinmarkt's bacteria. While Fleming recovers,

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1692-628: A kook, the warning goes unheeded to drastic results. On the morning of July 16, 2003, the Clan detonates atom bombs in Washington, DC, killing the President and thousands of civilians. Realizing his mistake, Schroeder tells the FBI about Fleming's visit, and his story about world-travelling, stolen US nukes, and the Clan. Empire Games is the seventh book in the series, published in January 2017. It

1833-546: A national furor, resulting in several investigations. The incident has been described as a " Kafkaesque nightmare," a "debacle," and "one of the worst cases of its kind." Chong subsequently sued the DEA; the government settled the suit for $ 4.1 million. On August 12, 2013, at the American Bar Association 's House of Delegates meeting, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the "Smart on Crime" program, which

1974-706: A particular investigation or trafficking group. These programs ended in the early 2000s. The DEA Special Operations Division ( SOD ) is a division within the DEA, which forwards information from wiretaps, intercepts, and databases from various sources to federal agents and local law enforcement officials. The SOD came under scrutiny following the 2010s global surveillance disclosures . The Domestic Cannabis Eradication / Suppression Program ( DCE / SP ) began funding eradication programs in Hawaii and California in 1979. The program rapidly expanded to include programs in 25 states by 1982. By 1985, all 50 states were participating in

2115-600: A planetary black hole is all that is left of Earth. After a few successful reconnaissance jaunts to a train yard in Timeline 3's version of Allentown, Pennsylvania , to gather intelligence for the US, Rita has some down time and meets up with an old flame, Angie, who also has a connection to Rita's grandfather. Unbeknownst to Rita, Miriam, now a Commissioner in the Commonwealth, is the subject of an assassination attempt, and

2256-590: A shoebox filled with items that belonged to Miriam's birth mother, a Jane Doe who died mysteriously when Miriam was only a baby. Among other items, Miriam finds a locket. Inside is a design not unlike a Celtic knot , and when she focuses on it, she is transported to a parallel world of a feudal Massachusetts whose technology is mostly in the Dark Ages —except for the men on horses armed with guns, and an upper class that has access to "imported" baubles from Miriam's normal Earth. Miriam quickly finds herself caught up in

2397-414: A similar issue as the first book; it is clearly the first part of a two-part story, and ends on a cliffhanger with its plot threads still hanging. The Merchant's War is the fourth book of The Merchant Princes , published in 2007. Protagonist Miriam Beckstein is on the run in the world of New Britain (Timeline 3) after narrowly escaping an attack in Gruinmarkt (Timeline 1). The Clan itself struggles with

2538-503: A single marijuana plant. Federal documents obtained by journalist Drew Atkins detail the DEA's continuing efforts to spend upwards of $ 14 million per year to completely eradicate marijuana within the United States despite the government funding allocation reports showing that the Marijuana Eradication Program often leads to the discovery of no marijuana plants. This prompted twelve members of Congress to push for

2679-432: A small detachment; does not dress in royal frippery, but as a normal officer, and keeps body doubles around; and has an elite guard armed with modern Earth weapons such as MP5s . All this renders assassinating him chancy. In battlefield strategy, he splits his forces into small groups which raid Clan manors, execute anyone vaguely related to the Clan, then melt back into the forest. This causes panicked requests for aid from

2820-527: A third world largely unknown to the Clan, where Massachusetts is part of "New Britain" and the British monarchy fled to America; this nation has roughly Edwardian mores and 1930s technology. The existence of this third world also complicates security expectations, as it provides an angle to attack the Clan from locations which might seem safely guarded in both worlds, but are unguarded in the third world. In The Hidden Family , Miriam correctly hypothesizes that

2961-418: A three-year license was $ 551. Some have likened this approach to license fees unreasonable, "like making pilot licenses support the entire Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) budget." The renewal fee for 2020 as of October 1, 2020, is $ 888 for a three-year license. In 2005, the DEA estimated that it had over 4,000 informants without which they "could not effectively enforce the controlled substances laws of

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3102-537: A total of 10 more hours of live fire training on their issued sidearm, to further aid them in helping pass the pistol qualification. After passing their pistol qualification, Basic Agent Trainees move on to receive formal training on the DEA's standard-issue long guns and will continue to frequently shoot the agency-issued sidearms that they have already qualified on. In all, BATs receive a total of 32 firearms training sessions, when combining classroom instruction, gear issue, and pistol, rifle, and shotgun live fire training at

3243-399: A trip of his own to rendezvous with Paulette in Timeline 2. After 15 years, Paulie is tired of the spy life, but refuses to leave the US. When Yul is nearly caught, New Britain's Department of Para-historical Research (DPR) decides Paulette must be retired, as she knows too much, and Brilliana proposes voluntary or semi-voluntary extraction vs. liquidation. Brill also notes that the Commonwealth

3384-485: A two-day (16-hour) proficiency course to carry a shoulder weapon on enforcement operations. They may carry a Rock River LAR-15 or LWRC carbine as authorized, personally-owned weapons, provided they meet the same training and proficiency standards. In 2005, the DEA seized a reported $ 1.4 billion in drug trade related assets and $ 477 million worth of drugs. According to the White House's Office of Drug Control Policy ,

3525-468: A war on two fronts: one against Prince Egon's coup forces for control of Gruinmarkt, and another against the secretive US government taskforce investigating the Clan (Timeline 2). In New London, the equivalent of New York City in Timeline 2 and Niejwein in Gruinmarkt, Miriam seeks out one of Erasmus Burgeson's Leveler contacts, Lady Bishop, for aid and shelter. The situation in New Britain is not good:

3666-407: Is inelastic ; the people who are buying drugs will continue to buy them with little regard to price, often turning to crime to support expensive drug habits when the drug prices rise. One recent study by the DEA showed that the price of cocaine and methamphetamine is the highest it has ever been while the quality of both is at its lowest point ever. This is contrary to a collection of data done by

3807-530: Is "a sweeping initiative by the Justice Department that in effect renounces several decades of tough-on-crime anti-drug legislation and policies." Holder said the program "will encourage U.S. attorneys to charge defendants only with crimes "for which the accompanying sentences are better suited to their individual conduct, rather than excessive prison terms more appropriate for violent criminals or drug kingpins..." Running through Holder's statements,

3948-573: Is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating illicit drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domestic enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act , sharing concurrent jurisdiction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement , and U.S. Customs and Border Protection . However,

4089-484: Is also alarmed to learn that the Clan possesses nuclear weapons, while Mike is concerned by the quasi-legality and loose morality of the operation. The plan goes awry as their defector source begins to grow restless and realizes that he is being held by the military now, not by law enforcement, and witness protection is not forthcoming. In a desperate bid to take a hostage and escape, both the defector and Mike's co-worker Pete are killed. A trapped Miriam learns her fate: she

4230-521: Is assisted by a deputy administrator, the chief of operations, the chief inspector, and three assistant administrators (for the Operations Support, Intelligence, and Human Resources divisions). Other senior staff includes the chief financial officer and the chief counsel. The administrator and deputy administrator are the only presidentially appointed personnel in the DEA; all other DEA officials are career government employees. DEA's headquarters

4371-455: Is aware of Rita's absence in Timeline 2. Rita undergoes surgery to have her abilities "switched on." Unlike her world-walking relatives, she does not suffer from the same complications—elevated blood pressure, blinding headaches, nausea, and a required waiting period for jaunts. She is taken to Camp Singularity, where Rita experiences "the Gate", which crosses two timelines at once, in one of which

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4512-475: Is captured on one of her missions. Should she lie, or go along with questioning? She was seen mid-jaunt, and they swabbed for DNA, so Rita confesses. Before others in the Party can use Rita to their advantage, Olga steps in and whisks her away to a secret meeting where the history of the Clan and the US government is explained. She is now tasked with acting as a reluctant go-between for the two governments. Back in

4653-490: Is complicated by the fact that Miriam's mother seemingly arranged for her to be artificially inseminated by Prince Creon during her examinations, meaning she is pregnant with the heir to the throne. Pregnant world-walkers cannot safely travel if their child would be a world-walker themselves, though, and Miriam comes from a world where abortion is legal if she were to find out about her condition. Angbard also summons Huw, an MIT grad student, and assigns him with investigating both

4794-530: Is considered an "Idiot" after being poisoned with sweetener at a young age. Egon does not bear the recessive world-walker genes from the Clan-member that had managed to sneak into the royal line, while Creon does, thus making the Clan favor Creon. Miriam's great-uncle Henryk, the king's head of spies, explains that if she marries Creon, his affliction would not affect his children, so she could produce potential world-walker Clan members to eventually reign. Miriam

4935-587: Is forced to act in haste; they do retake the Palace, but at the cost of being unable to return to the United States easily in that location. Miriam and Erasmus arrive in California, but find a deadly reception from the British Sheriff who has orders for their arrest. Briliana, Huw, and Huw's team sweep in to save Miriam and ambush the police with advanced American weaponry. Miriam is offered a path back to

5076-787: Is known about DEA SRT capabilities and its operator selection process. In the past, DEA had other tactical teams like the High-risk Entry Apprehension Teams ( HEAT ) in some Field Divisions, and Operation Snowcap Teams (predecessor of FAST). The teams administered by the Mobile Enforcement Section, the Mobile Enforcement Teams ( MET ), and Regional Enforcement Teams ( RET ), were mobile investigative units intended to deploy resources to state and local agencies (MET) or DEA Field Divisions (RET) in need of assistance with

5217-681: Is located in Arlington County, Virginia , across from The Pentagon . It maintains its own DEA Academy located on the Marine Corps Base Quantico at Quantico, Virginia , alongside the FBI Academy . As of 2024 , it maintains 241 domestic offices in 23 divisions, and 93 foreign offices in 69 countries. With a budget exceeding $ 3 billion, DEA employs 10,169 people, including 4,924 Special Agents and 800 Intelligence Analysts. c.  2015 its headquarters and

5358-475: Is mainly supplied from Western Asia (from Afghanistan and neighboring countries), and less likely to be contaminated with fentanyl. In North America, there are now fewer deaths involving heroin than either meth or cocaine, a striking change that has taken place over the last two years as heroin has all but disappeared from some regions. Due to the absence of heroin from Asian sources, fentanyl-laced heroin powder or tablets have filled that void. In October 2021,

5499-549: Is the biological daughter of Miriam and her first husband, given up for adoption while Miriam was still in college. Though Rita has no knowledge of her bio-relatives, she has been on the government's radar since the Clan's 2003 nuclear strike. Now in her mid-twenties, Rita gets scooped up by the Dept. of Homeland Security and is thrust into service. Why now? The US has stumbled upon a "new" timeline—one in which three of their drones have been shot down—and thinks they may have finally found

5640-488: Is the first part of the series' second story. In The Clan Corporate , Miriam Beckstein runs into trouble. Her experimental corporation in New Britain has been somewhat abandoned with other Clan minders overseeing it, officially due to concerns she might be assassinated, but actually due to political rivalries. The truce between the Clan and the Lee Family of New Britain seems to hold, at least. The Clan still does not trust

5781-502: Is the second book of The Merchant Princes , published in 2005. It completes the story begun in The Family Trade of Miriam Beckstein's attempts to understand and explore the new worlds she has access to. As the title suggests, the existence of families with the power to "worldwalk" unknown to the Clan comes of importance in this book, as a shadow war to undermine the Clan continues. The story also includes Miriam's exploration of

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5922-543: Is the start of a new trilogy in the series. Empire Games begins 17 years after the end of The Trade of Queens . In a flashback, it is revealed that having fled the US-nuked Gruinmarket (Timeline 1) Clan progressives spent time in a prison camp in the Commonwealth (Timeline 3). There, they devised a plan to work with Sir Adam to industrialize New Britain and make tremendous technological strides under

6063-401: Is to be spared for her indiscretions, but only to be tied down in a political marriage, the only thing that can satisfy the more conservative instincts of the Clan. The Clan seeks to tie itself to the royal family so that it can rule Gruinmarkt. The King's two sons each have problems; the eldest son Egon has a cruel streak and is known as the "Pervert," while the youngest son, Creon, has PKU and

6204-581: Is to ensure that these "controlled substances" are readily available for medical use while preventing their distribution for illicit distribution and non-medical use. This can be a difficult task, sometimes providing difficulty for legitimate patients and healthcare providers while circumventing illegal trade and consumption of scheduled drugs. Under federal law, all businesses which manufacture or distribute controlled drugs, all health professionals entitled to dispense, administer or prescribe them, and all pharmacies entitled to fill prescriptions must register with

6345-469: Is treated by a Clan fertility doctor and reluctantly goes forward with the plan after she is threatened with her ailing mother losing access to medical care, despite her strong aversion to marrying for "duty." In the final act, Clan allies gather for the banquet to celebrate the forced engagement of Miriam and Creon. Agent Fleming is sent by the government to the banquet as well as part of a plan to make contact with her and turn her into an informant, posing as

6486-643: The Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD), the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODALE); approximately 600 Special Agents of the Bureau of Customs, Customs Agency Service, and other federal offices merged to create the DEA. The DEA is the primary federal agency charged with implementing and enforcing the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which is Title II of a larger Federal Act called

6627-572: The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 . The DEA is responsible for drugs listed in the CSA's five drug Schedules, categories that rank drugs by their potential for harm, and whether they have a medical use. The CSA seeks to ensure legitimate access to controlled pharmaceuticals, while preventing illicit use of controlled drugs. To these ends, the DEA implements two intersecting legal schemes created by

6768-650: The DEA Museum were in 503,776 square feet (46,802.3 m ) in Lincoln Place, a rented office building in Pentagon City in Arlington County, Virginia . In September 2018 this lease was scheduled to end. The General Services Administration (GSA), circa 2015, was checking to see where in Northern Virginia the DEA could be headquartered. In 2018 the government of the United States extended

6909-497: The Federal Bureau of Investigation , which in 2005 considered relaxing its hiring policy relevant to individual drug-use history. The DEA Aviation Division or Office of Aviation Operations ( OA ) (formerly Aviation Section ) is an airborne division based in Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport, Texas . The current OA fleet consists of 106 aircraft and 124 DEA pilots. The DEA shares

7050-462: The Gulf oil states such as Saudi Arabia remain a special case, with a fabulously privileged upper class able to be educated abroad and get cutting-edge medical care and the like, but not expanding the economy of their societies beyond the treasure trove that is their wealth from natural resources – which is compared with the Clan's treasure trove from interdimensional trade. Krugman qualified his praise of

7191-518: The Wayback Machine along with medical professionals, researchers and manufacturers access to " Schedule I " drugs, as well as Schedules 2, 3, 4 and 5. Authorized registrants apply for and, if granted, receive a " DEA number ". An entity that has been issued a DEA number is authorized to manufacture (drug companies), distribute research, prescribe (doctors, pharmacists , nurse practitioners and physician assistants, etc.), or dispense (pharmacy)

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7332-510: The fictitious lessee of the plaintiff, in the (now obsolete in the UK) mixed action of ejectment , the fictitious defendant being called Richard Roe". This usage is mocked in the 1834 English song "John Doe and Richard Roe": Two giants live in Britain's land, John Doe and Richard Roe, Who always travel hand in hand, John Doe and Richard Roe. Their fee-faw-fum's an ancient plan To smell

7473-592: The 2005 trial of Henk Orlando Rommy, the DEA has admitted to activities on Dutch soil. Earlier, then Minister of Justice Piet Hein Donner , had denied to the Dutch parliament that he had given permission to the DEA for any such activities, which would have been a requirement by Dutch law in order to allow foreign agents to act within the territory. Jane Doe (pseudonym) John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used in

7614-550: The American government as a drug with a potential for addiction. During this time, several public hearings on the new drug were held by the DEA. Based on all of the evidence and facts presented at the time, the DEA's administrative law judge did not see MDMA and its analogues as being of large concern and recommended that they be placed in Schedule III. The DEA administrator, expressing concern for addictive potential, overruled

7755-564: The British and US-American legal system and aside generally in the United Kingdom and the United States when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States , such names are often used to refer to a corpse whose identity is unknown or cannot be confirmed . These names are also often used to refer to a hypothetical " everyman " in other contexts, like John Q. Public or "Joe Public". There are many variants to

7896-400: The CSA, registration provisions for entities involved in legal activities, violations of which are not usually criminal offenses, and trafficking provisions for illegal activities, violations of which are criminal offenses. From the early 1970s, DEA headquarters was located at 1405 I ("Eye") Street NW in downtown Washington, D.C. With the overall growth of the agency in the 1980s (owing to

8037-414: The Clan and to aid the "progressive" faction against the conservatives. Publishers Weekly and other reviewers praised the book, although thought the addition of the government subplot meant that the characterization was spread a little too thinly with not enough room to develop all the characters' plots. The Revolution Business is the fifth book of The Merchant Princes , published in 2009. The Clan,

8178-478: The Clan civil war that took place around the time she was born was caused and intensified by a third party – a distant branch of the Clan that, while weaker, was unknown and had access to a different world. They were thus able to perform attacks that seemed as if they must come from a rival world-walker within the Clan, but actually came from the Hidden Family. Miriam also believes this third party to be behind

8319-525: The Clan is "transdimensional narcoterrorists". This "Family Trade Organization" has a key asset in the Clan defector from the first two books who had arrived seeking a witness protection program. The defector's aid helps the government arrest other Clan couriers, seize Clan assets, and begin to compile an English – Hochsprache dictionary. This language study will allow agents to communicate if they can reach Gruinmarkt via captured couriers outfitted with Battle Royale -esque time bombs on their heads. The government

8460-472: The Clan's equally dangerous high-stakes business and social games. Stross weaves a tale worthy of Robert Ludlum or Dan Brown ." Roland Green reviewing the book for Booklist compared it to the early novels in Roger Zelazny's Amber series. The Hidden Family was a finalist for the 2006 Prometheus Award . The Clan Corporate is the third book of The Merchant Princes , published in 2006. It

8601-469: The Clan's lesser allies, spreading the Clan forces thinly; this is compared to the strategic hamlets in the Vietnam War, where similar insurgency tactics were used. After spreading the Clan out, Egon seeks to concentrate the core Clan members so they can be annihilated; this requires a risky concentration of his own forces, but through misdirection and treachery, he and his ally Baron Otto Neuhalle take

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8742-404: The Clan's technological transfer program. When Miriam Beckstein, Brilliana d'Ost, Olga Thorold, and Huw and Hulius Hjorth are seen again in 2020, they are high-ranking citizens, prepping to launch New Britain's first astronaut into orbit. Meanwhile, the United States (Timeline 2) has become an increasingly authoritarian and paranoid police state. A new protagonist, Rita Douglas, is introduced. Rita

8883-504: The DCE/SP. In 2015, the DCE/SP was responsible for the eradication of 3,932,201 cultivated outdoor cannabis plants and 325,019 indoor plants for a total of 4,257,220 marijuana plants. In addition, the DCE/SP accounted for 6,278 arrests and the seizure in excess of $ 29.7 million of cultivator assets. In 2014, the DEA spent $ 73,000 to eradicate marijuana plants in Utah, though they did not find

9024-656: The DEA Academy. They will shoot the qualification courses for all three weapons systems during their initial training but must pass their final qualification attempts only on their Glock pistols to become a Special Agent. Agents are trained to use shoulder-fired weapons, such as the Rock River LAR-15, adopted in 2004, and the LWRC M6A2 , the standard carbine of DEA. The Colt 9mm SMG was previously issued, but no longer in service. Agents are required to complete

9165-696: The DEA has sole responsibility for coordinating and pursuing U.S. drug investigations both domestically and internationally. It was established in 1973 as part of the U.S. government's war on drugs . The DEA has an intelligence unit that is also a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community . While the unit is part of the DEA chain-of-command, it also reports to the Director of National Intelligence . The DEA has been criticized for scheduling drugs that have medicinal uses, and for focusing on operations that allow it to seize money rather than those involving drugs that cause more harm. The Drug Enforcement Administration

9306-456: The DEA helped harbor Nicaraguan drug traffickers. Notably, they allowed Oscar Danilo Blandón political asylum in the USA despite knowledge of his cocaine-trafficking organization. The government of Bolivia has also taken similar steps to ban the DEA from operating in the country. In September 2008, Bolivia drastically reduced diplomatic ties with the United States, withdrawing its ambassador from

9447-487: The DEA should focus much more on prescription opiates used recreationally, which critics contend comes first before users switch to heroin. Practitioners who legally prescribe medicine however must possess a valid DEA license. According to federal law, the budget of the DEA Diversion Control Program is to be paid by these license fees. In 1984 a three-year license cost $ 25. In 2009 the fee for

9588-548: The DEA. Registrants must comply with a series of regulatory requirements relating to drug security, records accountability, and adherence to standards. All of these investigations are conducted by Diversion Investigators (DIs). DIs conduct investigations to uncover and investigate suspected sources of diversion and take appropriate civil and administrative actions. Prescription Database Management Programs (PDMP) aid and facilitate investigation and surveillance. In 2019 and 2020, record overdoses from illicit fentanyl tablets or as

9729-537: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Exceptions to this policy may be made for applicants who admit to limited youthful and experimental use of marijuana . Such applicants may be considered for employment if there is no evidence of regular, confirmed usage and the full-field background investigation and results of the other steps in the process are otherwise favorable. The DEA's relatively firm stance on this issue contrasts with that of

9870-512: The King has dismissed Parliament, another colonial war rages overseas, and the Treasury is paying its bills by printing money, leading to stagflation . The Levelers wish to create a democratic system, but are wary of moving until the burst of war-fueled government support wears off. Miriam still fears elements of the Clan are out to murder her. She reconnects with Erasmus, dodges both Clan agents and

10011-603: The Office of National Drug Control Policy, which states that purity of street drugs has increased, while price has decreased. In contrast to the statistics presented by the DEA, the United States Department of Justice released data in 2003 showing that purity of methamphetamine was on the rise. The DEA has a registration system in place which authorizes anyone to manufacture, import, export, and distribute by filing DEA form 225 Archived November 8, 2015, at

10152-726: The Real Property Limitation Act of 1833; the fictional characters of John Doe and Richard Roe by the Common Law Procedure Act 1852; and the forms of action themselves by the Judicature Acts 1873–75." Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs v Meier and others (2009). In the UK, usage of "John Doe" survives mainly in the form of John Doe injunction or John Doe order (see above). 8.02 If an unknown person has possession of

10293-516: The Secretary of Health and Human Services recommends against it on a scientific or medical basis, and no drug can be placed in the most restrictive schedule ( Schedule I ) if DHHS finds that the drug has an accepted medical use. Jon Gettman 's essay Science and the End of Marijuana Prohibition describes the DEA as "a fall guy to deflect responsibility from the key decision-makers" and opines, "HHS calls

10434-648: The U.S. government's War on Drugs and that many benefits of such substances remain unrecognized due to the difficulty of conducting scientific research. A counterpoint to that criticism is that under the Controlled Substances Act it is the Department of Health and Human Services (through the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institute on Drug Abuse ), not the DEA, which has the legal responsibility to make scientific and medical determinations with respect to drug scheduling; no drug can be scheduled if

10575-648: The UK, Australia, and New Zealand; however such names are seldom used in legal or police circles in the same sense as John Doe. Well-known legal cases named after placeholders include: Under the legal terminology of Ancient Rome , the names " Numerius Negidius " and " Aulus Agerius " were used in relation to hypothetical defendants and plaintiffs . The names "John Doe" (or "John Do") and "Richard Roe" (along with "John Roe") were regularly invoked in English legal instruments to satisfy technical requirements governing standing and jurisdiction, beginning perhaps as early as

10716-480: The US and expelling the US ambassador from Bolivia. This occurred soon after Bolivian president Evo Morales expelled all DEA agents from the country due to a revolt in the traditional coca-growing Chapare Province . The Bolivian government claimed that it could not protect the agents, and Morales further accused the agency of helping incite the violence, which claimed 30 lives. National agencies were to take over control of drug management. Three years later, Bolivia and

10857-515: The US began to restore full diplomatic ties. However, Morales maintained that the DEA would remain unwelcome in the country, characterising it as an affront to Bolivia's "dignity and sovereignty". In the Netherlands, both the Dutch government and the DEA have been criticized for violations of Dutch sovereignty in drug investigations. According to Peter R. de Vries , a Dutch journalist present at

10998-585: The US reported another record in fentanyl deaths, as federal agencies were unable to stem the tide of illicit, synthetic drugs entering the US. Originally, introduced to replace much of the white powder heroin in the Eastern United States, the drug continues to move further west. Between July 2019–December 2020, illicitly manufactured fentanyl involved deaths increased sharply in midwestern (33.1%), southern (64.7%), and western (93.9%) jurisdictions. In 1985 MDMA and its analogues were under review by

11139-613: The US, Kurt receives a mysterious letter advising him of Rita's recent activities. Old emotions are stirred, as his secret past is revealed and he contemplates its effect on the future. There is an Afterword in the book, discussing the origins of the FTO, the DHS, multi-verses, and an interesting revelation about the Clan's founding member. Dark State is the eighth book in the series, published in January 2018. The New American Commonwealth (formerly: "New Britain") faces its first regime change since

11280-467: The United States exceeded 100,000 over this time period, with 64.0% of deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (the same illicitly manufactured fentanyls and analogs). In contrast, Europe has seen a decrease from heroin overdoses, and a practical absence of illicit, synthetic opioids. Fentanyl, originally developed in the 1970s by Janssen Pharmaceutica , is a potent anesthetic primarily used in hospital or hospice settings. In Europe, heroin

11421-466: The United States. United States federal law registers cannabis as a Schedule I drug. In April 2012 in San Diego, California , DEA agents detained a student, Daniel Chong, and left him locked in a holding room for five days. The cell contained no food, water or bathroom facilities. When he was found, he had to be hospitalized for several days for a variety of medical problems. The incident touched off

11562-504: The United States." To gather information, agents permitted their informants to buy and sell drugs, engage in Medicaid fraud rings, and other illicit acts. Despite this, the DEA claims that they are "in compliance" with the rules for using informants to gather information about illicit activities. The total budget of the DEA from 1972 to 2014, according to the agency website, was $ 50.6 billion. The agency had 11,055 employees in 2014. For

11703-472: The above names, including John (or Richard ) /Jane Roe , John/Jane Smith , John/Jane Bloggs , and Johnie/Janie Doe or just Baby Doe for children. A. N. Other is also a placeholder name, mainly used in the United Kingdom — which is gender neutral — along side Joe / Jo Bloggs and the now occasional use of the "John" and "Jane Doe" names. In other English-speaking countries , unique placeholder names, numbers or codenames have become more often used in

11844-476: The age of 18 petitioning the Superior Court for a judicial bypass exception to the parental consent requirement for abortion. "Mary Moe" is also used to refer to such cases generally, i.e. "Mary Moe cases". Sometimes "Mary Doe" may be used for the individuals. Parallels in other countries include: Currently there are no court rules about pseudonym use. The rules of civil procedure ... are silent on

11985-503: The agency. In 2007, after the U.S. State Department criticized Venezuela in its annual report on drug trafficking, the Venezuelan Minister of Justice reiterated the accusations: "A large quantity of drug shipments left the country through that organization. We were in the presence of a new drug cartel ." In his 1996 series of articles and subsequent 1999 book , both titled Dark Alliance, journalist Gary Webb asserts that

12126-429: The attack on her birth mother. For reasons she cannot entirely understand, this branch family considers her existence a threat as well. Miriam also has to contend with elements in the Clan who distrust her. She is warned that in six months, a large Clan meeting will occur at Beltaigne, and her rivals – including her own blood grandmother Hildegarde – are likely to motion to have her declared incompetent, which would deny her

12267-534: The bitter internal struggle reaches its peak. Meanwhile, the United States plots its revenge on the Gruinmarkt. The sixth book culminates in a dramatic ending that changes worlds forever. In Timeline 2 (USA) DEA Agent Mike Fleming finds himself targeted by his superiors at the Family Trade Organization (FTO) and running out of time to stop the Clan's planned terrorist attack. When Miriam's former press colleague Steve Schroeder mistakes Fleming for

12408-524: The book concerns Miriam's efforts in New Britain. Miriam gained access to it via taking a New Britain locket off one of the hidden assassins who attacked her at the end of The Family Trade . There, she ships gold – tightly regulated under mercantilist beliefs that the government requires a large supply of bullion – and allies with the Levellers , dissidents from the Royal government who demand something like

12549-445: The book often note its rather abrupt ending. This is because both it and The Hidden Family were originally written as one novel, but that novel was then split for brevity's sake, as 600 pages was too long. The Family Trade placed fifth in the annual Locus Poll for best fantasy novel. The Family Trade and The Hidden Family were later released together as The Bloodline Feud , with some editing and adjustments. The Hidden Family

12690-577: The building, metal detectors and guard stations. In February 2003, the DEA established a Digital Evidence Laboratory within its Office of Forensic Sciences. The DEA is headed by an Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate . The Administrator reports to the Attorney General through the Deputy Attorney General . The administrator

12831-416: The business from within, while dodging the various assassination plots hatched against her. She also understands that the drug trade will only last so long; anonymity and carrying large amounts of raw cash are growing steadily more suspicious. Miriam finds a number of potential allies in her travels. They include Paulie, a research assistant from her former job with some experience in the field of law; Roland,

12972-562: The clandestine nature of the DEA mission, SRT training protocols and activation requirements are highly sensitive and not available to the public. Some of the SRT missions consist of high-risk arrests, vehicle assaults, air assault/infiltration, specialized surveillance, custody of high-profile individuals, dignitary and witness protection, tactical surveillance and interdiction, advanced breaching, tactical training to other police units, and urban and rural fugitive searches. Covertly located throughout

13113-425: The confidential personal information and is threatening to disclose it, a 'John Doe' injunction may be sought against that person. The first time this form of injunction was used since 1852 in the United Kingdom was in 2005 when lawyers acting for JK Rowling and her publishers obtained an interim order against an unidentified person who had offered to sell chapters of a stolen copy of an unpublished Harry Potter novel to

13254-580: The context of police investigations. This has included the United Kingdom , where usage of "John Doe" originated during the Middle Ages . However, the legal term John Doe injunction or John Doe order has survived in English law and other legal systems influenced by it. Other names, such as " Joe Bloggs " or "John Smith", have sometimes been informally used as placeholders for an every-man in

13395-496: The dead were 28 foreign nationals from 10 countries. One attacker was captured. The bodies of many of the dead hostages showed signs of torture or disfigurement. A number of those killed were notable figures in business, media, and security services. The DEA was accused in 2005 by the Venezuelan government of collaborating with drug traffickers, after which President Hugo Chávez decided to end any collaboration with

13536-443: The economics with a proviso that the books "are, first and foremost, great fun" with a "rollicking plot," and not a bland essay about the implications of such trade. The Family Trade is the first book of The Merchant Princes , published in 2004. It introduces the reader to technology journalist Miriam Beckstein, who finds herself in a parallel world in which her extended family holds power. Miriam's adoptive mother Iris gives her

13677-543: The elimination of the program and use the money instead to fund domestic-violence prevention and deficit-reduction programs. In 2018, the DEA budget was $ 2.086 billion. $ 445 million was spent on international enforcement and $ 1.627 billion was spent on domestic enforcement. DEA agents' primary service weapons are the Glock 17 and Glock 19 , Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun, and Rock River Arms LAR-15 semi-automatic carbine in 5.56×45mm NATO . Agents may also qualify to carry

13818-409: The feuds of her estranged family, which calls itself the Clan. The Clan has used the genetic ability to travel back and forth between the two worlds to build a lucrative import/export trade, and enrich themselves. However, their founder and progeny were from the feudal world, and thus their mores and beliefs are as well; they are content to merely enrich themselves, and seek to ingratiate themselves to

13959-692: The firearms qualification test, successfully demonstrate leadership and sound decision-making in practical scenarios, and pass rigorous physical-task tests. Upon graduation, recruits earn the title of DEA Special Agent. The DEA excludes from consideration job applicants who have a history of any use of narcotics or illicit drugs. Investigation usually includes a polygraph test for special-agent, diversion-investigator, and intelligence research specialist positions. Applicants who are found, through investigation or personal admission, to have experimented with or used narcotics or dangerous drugs, except those medically prescribed, will not be considered for employment with

14100-443: The funds held in trust that was her inheritance. Lastly, Miriam believes that Duke Lofstram's security forces have a mole working for the Hidden Family, after several security lapses and attempts on her life that seemed to know too much. Both to research the hidden family, as well as to build her own personal base of power separate from the alternative of marrying a Clan noble and throwing herself under his faction's protection, most of

14241-627: The headquarters relocated to 600–700 Army-Navy Drive in the Pentagon City area of Arlington County, Virginia, near the eponymous Metro station . On April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh carried out a terrorist attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City . He was targeting regional offices for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and DEA, all of which had carried out raids that he viewed as unjustified intrusions on

14382-461: The help of NIRT ) a potential nuclear weapon that is already a ticking time bomb in Boston planted by the defector. In the long term, the government seeks to deal with peak oil via potentially invading alternate-universe Texas. Prince Egon confounds the Clan with intelligence tactics designed to minimize the Clan's advantages in technology and firepower. He immediately takes to the field, moves with

14523-483: The hybrid creation of specialized tactical units residing within various geographical regions throughout the United States. DEA officially created and standardized its Special Response Team ( SRT ) program in 2016. The SRT was designed as a stop-gap between tactical operations conducted by field agents and those necessitating specialized tactics as a result of elevated risks. SRT operators are highly trained in various weapons systems and entry tactics/maneuvers. Because of

14664-493: The ideas. Publishers Weekly in their review said "Stross continues to mix high and low tech in amusing and surprising ways. However, while giving a gritty SF portrait of the marvels of modern market economics and correcting the too pretty portrait of too many medieval fantasy lands, he sometimes overlooks the realities that constrain both. Still, less historically minded readers can lose themselves in Miriam's attempts to survive

14805-614: The increased emphasis on federal drug law enforcement efforts) and concurrent growth in the headquarters staff, the DEA began to search for a new headquarters location; locations in Arkansas , Mississippi and various abandoned military bases around the United States were considered. However, then– Attorney General Edwin Meese determined that the headquarters had to be located close to the Attorney General's office. Thus, in 1989,

14946-522: The increasing economic burden of over-incarceration was stressed. As of August 2013 , the Smart on Crime program is not a legislative initiative but an effort "limited to the DOJ's policy parameters." David Coleman Headley (born Daood Sayed Gilani, June 30, 1960) who was working as an informant for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) simultaneously made periodic trips to Pakistan for LeT training and

15087-474: The key Hjalmar Palace the Clan held. It is not known if he has a world-walker ally keeping him informed, or if he is adeptly using information gained from his grandmother on the Clan's powers and limitations. Eventually, the Family Trade Organization, under Colonel Smith, finds the planted nuke. They also track down a large group of Clan members assembling in the US to retake the Hjalmar Palace. The Clan

15228-569: The killer. The body was named Peaches (murder victim) and also Jane Doe 3. The baby victim in a 2001 murder case in Kansas City, Missouri , was referred to as Precious Doe . In 2009, the New York Times reported the difficulties and unwanted attention experienced by a man actually named John Doe, who had often been suspected of using a pseudonym . He had been questioned repeatedly by airport security staff. Another man named John Doe

15369-677: The lease at Lincoln Place, now to expire circa 2033. The DEA administration favored retaining the original location. As of 2017, there were 4,650 special agents employed by the Drug Enforcement Administration. DEA agents' starting salary is $ 49,746–$ 55,483. After four years, the salary rises to above $ 92,592. After receiving a conditional offer of employment, recruits must then complete an 18-week rigorous training which includes lessons in firearms proficiency (including basic marksmanship), weapons safety, tactical shooting, and deadly-force decision training. To graduate, students must maintain an academic average of 80 percent on academic examinations, pass

15510-420: The local nobility, rather than to help the commonfolk. The easy money from their power also complicates reform. Miriam compares them to Saudi princes who visit the United States and Europe, but think in an entirely different way. The Clan's most profitable transport is currently drugs, which bothers Miriam both for ethical reasons, and in her belief that the Clan could do far better. She decides to attempt to reform

15651-567: The lockets and exploration of potential new worlds. Experimentation had largely been forbidden for fear of losing valuable couriers before, but with their base in the United States under threat, the Clan needs to seek out alternative options. Huw and his team discover that the Lee family Locket, while ineffective in Massachusetts and New York in the United States, works in Maryland, and leads to

15792-544: The long-lost world-walkers. After undergoing basic orientation, Rita visits her Grandpa Kurt, who, it is implied, has a shady past during the Cold War. Suspicious of her work with the government, Kurt tells Rita about the time the Stasi tried to recruit him as an informer and gives her a dog-eared copy of The Grasshopper Lies Heavy , with the cryptic message, "You should read this." Commonwealth spy Major Hulius Hjorth makes

15933-481: The magic in the series with background science fiction without worrying about breach of contract, but also satisfying his desire for a consistent explanation of what was "really" going on behind the scenes. One of the themes that Stross wanted to explicitly explore in the series was that of the development trap , or more generally developmental economics , the issues involved in helping poor and stratified societies to rapidly "catch up." Economist Paul Krugman wrote on

16074-444: The matter ... Rule of Civil Procedure 10(a) reads, '... In the complaint, the title of the action shall include the names of all the parties ...' The rule contains no guidance as to what parties should do to keep their names confidential. Prior to ... 1969, only one Supreme Court case, three court of appeals' decisions, and one district court decision in the previous quarter-century featured an anonymous individual as

16215-439: The media. Unlike the United States, the name "John Doe" does not actually appear in the formal name of the case, for example: X & Y v Persons Unknown [2007] HRLR 4. Well-known cases of unidentified decedents include " Caledonia Jane Doe " (1979), " Princess Doe " (1982) and " Walker County Jane Doe " (1980), all of whom have been identified. In 1997, New York City police discovered a decapitated body and were not able to find

16356-412: The modern world. This power has implications for security and crime as well, since it is now possible to commit a crime then disappear into thin air, and difficult to lock someone up in any effective manner. It also means there is immense social pressure on members of the genetic bloodline to breed with other compatible members to increase the likelihood of the ability manifesting. The first six novels in

16497-515: The most challenging handgun qualification courses in all of the federal law enforcement. Failure to achieve a passing qualification score is the reason for most Academy dismissals and special agents in the field may have their authority to carry a firearm revoked for failure to qualify. Basic Agent Trainees (BATs) who fail the initial pistol qualification course of fire are placed in a remedial program to receive additional training. In remedial training, BATs receive five extra two-hour range sessions, for

16638-407: The nation, DEA SRT teams are available to respond to practically any CONUS geographical area with little to no preparation or notification. The DEA SRT has been involved in several high-profile operations in recent years, however, DEA involvement is often not publicized due to operational and intelligence considerations. Considered one of the most covert outfits in federal law enforcement, very little

16779-419: The police, recovers the laptop she stowed in Boston, and heads west with Erasmus to meet a noted Leveler intellectual and leader. However, Miriam feels strangely sick, especially while briefly world-walking to Gruinmarkt to evade the police. Duke Angbard Lofstrom of the Clan charges his agent Briliana d'Ost with recovering Miriam, or, failing that, to ensure she no longer poses a threat to the Clan. The situation

16920-534: The power to basically raid and exploit multiple alternate histories. The main world to be visited would also be a feudal one more out of the Renaissance, as per many other fantasy stories. Stross chose to intentionally limit the scope of "magical" powers to solely the world-travelling. Stross was able to sell his new fantasy series to Tor Books , and would later adjust his contract with Ace to specifically exclude The Merchant Princes . This allowed Stross to explain

17061-471: The publisher Ace Books , Singularity Sky and Iron Sunrise . Ace also had the right of first refusal to any future science fiction books Stross would publish, and would likely only publish one book of his a year so as not to have his books compete against themselves. His agent advised him that if he wished to sell more books without breach of contract and also to avoid self-cannibalization, he should branch out genres, and encouraged Stross to try his hand at

17202-445: The purse of an Englishman, And, 'ecod, they'll suck it all they can, John Doe and Richard Roe ... This particular use became obsolete in the UK in 1852: As is well known, the device of involving real people as notional lessees and ejectors was used to enable freeholders to sue the real ejectors. These were then replaced by the fictional characters John Doe and Richard Roe. Eventually the medieval remedies were (mostly) abolished by

17343-552: The recommendation and ruled that MDMA be put in Schedule I, the Controlled Substances Act 's most restrictive category. The following is a listing of the rank structure found within the DEA (in ascending order): The DEA has been criticized for placing highly restrictive schedules on a few drugs that researchers in the fields of pharmacology and medicine regard as having medical uses. Critics assert that some such decisions are motivated primarily by political factors stemming from

17484-400: The reign of England's King Edward III (1327–1377). Though the rationale behind the choices of Doe and Roe is unknown, there are many suggested folk etymologies . Other fictitious names for a person involved in litigation in medieval English law were "John Noakes" (or "Nokes") and "John-a-Stiles" (or "John Stiles"). The Oxford English Dictionary states that John Doe is "the name given to

17625-469: The resulting children. She stirs up enough trouble in her investigations that she is quickly re-imprisoned, her activities even more strongly circumscribed than before. On normal Earth, a parallel subplot involves Mike Fleming, a DEA cop who dated Miriam in the past. Mike is pulled into a secret government task force that is investigating the Clan's activities; from the US Government's perspective,

17766-712: The revolution. The Commonwealth must juggle tense relations with the United States and former Royalists across the Atlantic plotting a comeback. Meanwhile, Para-time archaeologists from the US inadvertently stir up an ancient threat in the multiverse greater than anything previously imagined. Invisible Sun is the ninth and final book in the series. It concludes the story arcs that began in Empire Games and continued in Dark State . Drug Enforcement Administration The Drug Enforcement Administration ( DEA )

17907-469: The rights of the people. This attack caused the deaths of two DEA employees, one task force member and two contractors in the Oklahoma City bombing . Subsequently, the DEA headquarters complex was classified as a Level IV installation under United States federal building security standards, meaning it was to be considered a high-risk law enforcement target for terrorists. Security measures include hydraulic steel roadplates to enforce standoff distance from

18048-499: The rights secured in the American Revolution in Miriam's world. Erasmus Burgeson, a Leveller quartermaster and pawnshop owner, helps set Miriam up with false identity papers, and Miriam moves on to her next money-making plan. After shipping gold to get some initial funds, she will instead ship ideas. She buys a business and begins to take old patents from the 1900s–1950s unfamiliar to New Britain there, and sell rights to

18189-502: The series that Stross noticed that "the fantasy thought experiment, in which someone brings modern science and technology to a backward society, isn't a fantasy. It is, instead, something that's been tried all across the very real Third World ," to mixed success at best. While some countries such as South Korea became rich powerhouses, others such as Thailand have only modernized somewhat, and some states like Somalia remain desperately poor, just with access to cell phones and guns. The case of

18330-402: The series were released from 2004 to 2010, and take place in 2002–2004 of an alternate present. The books were later re-released in 2014 as A Merchant Princes Omnibus , a trilogy of three books with each book a combination of two of the original novels: The Bloodline Feud (books 1 and 2), The Traders' War (books 3 and 4), and The Revolution Trade (books 5 and 6). The re-release also included

18471-470: The shots when it comes to marijuana prohibition, and the cops at DEA and the general over at ONDCP take the heat." The DEA is also criticized for focusing on the operations from which it can seize the most money, namely the organized cross-border trafficking of marijuana . Some individuals contemplating the nature of the DEA's charter advise that, based on danger, the DEA should be most focused on cocaine. Others suggest that, based on opiate popularity,

18612-521: The suspect's train ticket leads the government to hunt for a sleeper cell in the same area as the train yard. It seems New Britain's King-in-Exile, John Frederick Charles of Hanover, has teamed up with the Dauphin , Louis, of the French continental empire, to foment dissent in the new government during Sir Adam's declining health. Already mistrustful of the monarchist, the Commonwealth goes on alert, and Rita

18753-400: The third and fourth participants in an action. "Mary Major" has been used in some federal cases in the US . "James Doe" and "Judy Doe" are among other common variants. Less often, other surnames ending in -oe have been used when more than two unknown or unidentified persons are named in U.S. court proceedings, e.g. , In Massachusetts , "Mary Moe" is used to refer to pregnant women under

18894-566: The total value of all of the drugs sold in the U.S. is as much as $ 64 billion a year, giving the DEA an efficiency rate of less than 1% at intercepting the flow of drugs into and within the United States. Critics of the DEA (including recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences , Milton Friedman , prior to his death a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition ) point out that demand for illegal drugs

19035-407: The upstart; Miriam is largely kept isolated in the first parallel world of Gruinmarkt, a virtual prisoner, and unable to travel unchaperoned. Miriam escapes surveillance for a time and finds out about the "insurance policy", a plot by the more modernizing faction of the Clan to create hundreds more world-walkers by offering mass artificial insemination at compromised sperm banks, then attempt to recruit

19176-420: The viewpoint character shifts to Colonel Eric Smith, his superior. Smith is considerably more ruthless than Fleming in his viewpoint and morality. He is introduced to government scientists that have figured out how to send tiny cell samples on their own without need for captured Clan couriers; managing attempts to use Mike's contact Olga to negotiate over the Clan's nuclear weapons; and attempting to hunt down (with

19317-480: The world-walking crime syndicate, is still in turmoil after the incapacitation of one of its key leaders and an ongoing crackdown by the US government. Miriam Beckstein returns to the fold, but only to find the Clan itself splintering into factions. The Trade of Queens is the sixth book in The Merchant Princes , published in 2010. The Clan has split between conservative and progressive factions and

19458-755: The year 2014 the average cost per arrest made was $ 97,325. Others, such as former Republican congressman Ron Paul, the Cato Institute , The Libertarian Party and the Drug Policy Alliance criticize the very existence of the DEA and the War on Drugs as both hostile, and contrary, to the concept of civil liberties by arguing that anybody should be free to put any substance they choose into their own bodies for any reason, particularly when legal drugs such as alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs are also open to addiction, and that any harm caused by

19599-404: Was established on July 1, 1973, by Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1973, signed by President Richard Nixon on July 28. It proposed the creation of a single federal agency to enforce the federal drug laws as well as consolidate and coordinate the government's drug control activities. Congress accepted the proposal, as they were concerned with the growing availability of drugs. As a result,

19740-425: Was often suspected of being an incognito celebrity. In cases where a large number of unidentified individuals are mentioned, numbers may be appended, such as "Doe #2" or "Doe II". Operation Delego (2009), which targeted an international child sexual abuse ring, cited 21 numbered "John Does", as well as other people known by the surnames "Doe", "Roe", "Hoe" and "Poe". "John Stiles", "Richard Miles" have been used for

19881-623: Was one of the main conspirators in the 2008 Mumbai attacks . On January 24, 2013, Headley, then 52 years old, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago to 35 years in prison for his part in the 2008 Mumbai attacks, in which at least 164 victims (civilians and security personnel) and nine attackers were killed. Among

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