DHS Seize LandRovers

[Goingbush]

What was this all about

http://www.defendersource.com/forum/f14/homeland-security-took-my-110-a-54930.html

What business is it of the DHS to plan co-ordinated multi-state raids to seize citizens personal trucks.


I didn't hear about it till it was over , but WTF !!!

http://jalopnik.com/all-the-seized-land-rover-defenders-will-be-returned-to-1708474732

the typical LandRover owner is not what you would call an aggressive person, passionate yes, meybe even meek ?? (yes yes I know, the meek shall inherit the earth) ...... but the DHS ??? to seize motor vehicles, FFS they are not tanks , Has it really come to this in the USA

[Sacajawea]

Hi GoingBush. I read something about this at the time the trucks were being taken. It didn't register at the time, with me.

There's been a huge increase in the US, in what is legally called "civil forfeiture". It started out, when swat teams or DEA would make drug busts. In the process they confiscated gobs of cash, guns, luxury cars, boats, homes, you name it. Originally, I believe all but the cash would be auctioned off. I guess the resulting funds (and left over cash) went into the FOP's benevolent fund. (I'm not being cheeky; I don't really know. Where else would the money go?)

In recent years, civil forfeiture has gotten crazy. Travellers being stopped & searched (for some made-up reason) are having cash they're carrying for legitimate purposes (starting a business, not trusting banks, buying a car from a craig's list ad) confiscated and not returned. At the same time, banks are demanding to know what you want with large amount of cash withdrawals (pretty much anything over $5k). And god forbid, you would make multiple DEPOSITS or even any deposit, of cash in large amounts. Business owners - say restaurants - were reported to the IRS for these multiple deposits, and the IRS, then charged these people (under the racketeering laws) of "structuring" their deposits to avoid the dollar-amount threshold of $10K, which automatically triggers a report to the IRS of "suspicious cash activity" -- ie, money laundering.

Big scandalous case in the news right now, involves this law and a former speaker of the House of Representatives - Dennis Hastert. He was paying blackmail - but that's not what the case is about. It's about violation of these "structuring" laws... and IMO, a regulatory "war on cash".

Now, the banks have no choice here - they don't like these rules either. They don't want to piss off their clients and lose the business, but on the other hand - if they don't follow the rules, and it shows up in an audit, then they're the ones defending themselves in court.

This war on cash, and the long-time push to promote electronic banking and digital money has an ulterior motive or three. You can use your imagination on what those are, or once this goes to the dark side, I'll feel more able to discuss what I think those motives are. See, just this week... Dept of Justice has supoenaed Reason.com for the identities of anonymous posters, who made what they consider "threats" in comments to an online article, of running someone through a woodchipper if they had the opportunity. Doesn't matter at all that black protesters massed the streets of NYC, chanting "what do we want?" "Dead cops" "when do we want it" "NOW!" nor that numerous black & muslim "anonymous" posters have made all kinds of threats against average Americans, the local, state & federal governments, corporations, and individual politicians. They're just exercising their right to free speech, don't you know?

The US is rapidly becoming the Land of the Used-To-Be Free.

[unseenone]

As a post followup to this story GB.. DHS in their infinite wisdom realized that a mistake was made with the VIN numbers, and over a year later, are releasing these vehicles back to the owners.. That being said, the legal fees, hurt feelings, loss of vehicle, and major inconvenience will go uncompensated.

more on that story here.... http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2...rs/?refer=news

[Goingbush]

But how is this anything to do with Homeland Security , vehicles with paperwork irregularities . Isnt it a DMV or even customs problem.

Armed DHS goons to deal with this - you guys really should be worried !

[Sacajawea]

But how is this anything to do with Homeland Security , vehicles with paperwork irregularities . Isnt it a DMV or even customs problem.

Armed DHS goons to deal with this - you guys really should be worried !

Yeah. There is actually WORSE going on.
For myself, I can't allow myself to spend all day looking at all the bad things happening. (I do more than is probably good for me, anyway.) Instead, we're just plowing ahead with plans to be out of the way and dug in, as best we can be.

[jag06]

Still not sure how supposedly an improper safety regulations on say a 24 year old vehicle but not a 25 year old vehicle is given probable cause for civil forfeiture? And by the DHS? How is personal land rovers a matter of national security? At least they made themselves look bad and are being forced to give them back.

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/06/12/feds-driven-to-admit-dozens-land-rover-seizures-were-wrong/?intcmp=latestnews