BORDER DRUG BUST COSTS AFFECT TEXAS PROSECUTION

At Border Patrol checks in the state of Texas, many arrests are taking place. Yet many of these arrests aren’t targeting illegal immigrants trying to sneak into the United States. Instead, recent data suggests that many of the arrests at these Border Patrols in South Texas have been Americans smuggling drugs into the country. Information from 2011 shows that 2,102 individuals were arrested for smuggling illegal narcotics into the United States at only one checkpoint on the border.

Unfortunately, the cost of arresting and then prosecuting all of these low-level offenders has become excessive and increasingly unaffordable. Because of this, the federal government has allowed many of the low-level offenders to go free without a trial. The Texas counties have expressed frustrations about the amount of criminals left without punishment, but the governments of these small counties all agree that they do not have sufficient funds to pay for the jailing and the costs of prosecution for these individuals.

An article published on NPR suggests that for every dollar that comes to the county from handling the federal border patrol crimes and seized assets, it costs about $2 to detain, prosecute, and process offenders. This doubling of costs makes it almost impossible for the counties to keep up with the steady stream of defendants.

If you have been arrested for a drug crime in Texas, this issue may work to your advantage. You will want to talk with a professional and hardworking Houston criminal defense attorney at the Martinez Law Firm for more information. Attorney Martinez is a former U.S. prosecutor, so he understands criminal law from both sides and can use his experience to best combat the prosecution in your case.
Hire the firm today to get optimal representation in your case!