Takeaway: Crewmembers on a small go-fast vessel caught smuggling narcotics in international waters are not simply couriers; thus, they are not entitled to a minimal- or minor-role reduction pursuant to USSG § 3B1.2. In a case with familiar facts to most MDLEA attorneys, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the lower court’s denial of a minor reduction…
Category: Blog
MDLEA blog posts.
Eleventh Circuit Affirms District Court’s Drug Weight Calculation for Jettisoned Contraband
Takeaway: (1) IONSCAN technology is sufficiently reliable for admission at trial in MDLEA cases, and (2) based the evidence available (i.e. testimony of the size and number of packages jettisoned), a court can reasonably calculate the quantity of narcotics trafficked even if they are jettisoned and unable to be recovered. The Eleventh Circuit’s decision in…
First Circuit Rules Safety-Valve Provision Did Not Apply to MDLEA
Take-away: At time of defendant’s sentencing in June 2018, the statutory safety-valve provision, which allowed relief from statutory mandatory minimum sentences, did not apply to offenses under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA). This case stems a December 11, 2017 interdiction by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). The USCG intercepted a go-fast vessel in the…
Welcome to MDLEA!
Welcome to my new blog about the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA). The goal of this blog is to track recent court decisions that cite to the MDLEA. I will try to provide both full decisions and summary of cases as I continue to study and litigate one of the United States’ furthest-reaching and…