DEA hires truck driver to run drugs to trap dealers, screws up operation so bad they end up with dea
51 replies, posted
[QUOTE]The phone rang before sunrise. It woke [URL="http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query="]Craig Patty[/URL], owner of a tiny North Texas trucking company, to vexing news about Truck 793 - a big red semi supposedly getting repairs in Houston.
"Your driver was shot in your truck," said the caller, a business colleague. "Your truck was loaded with marijuana. He was shot eight times while sitting in the cab. Do you know anything about your driver hauling marijuana?"
"What did you say?" Patty recalled asking. "Could you please repeat that?"
The truck, it turned out, had been everywhere but in the repair shop.
Commandeered by one of his drivers, who was secretly working with federal agents, the truck had been hauling marijuana from the border as part of an undercover operation. And without Patty's knowledge, the [URL="http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query="]Drug Enforcement Administration[/URL] was paying his driver, [URL="http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query="]Lawrence Chapa[/URL], to use the truck to bust traffickers.
At least 17 hours before that early morning phone call, Chapa was shot dead in front of more than a dozen law enforcement officers - all of them taken by surprise by hijackers trying to steal the red Kenworth T600 truck and its load of pot.
In the confusion of the attack in northwest Harris County, compounded by officers in the operation not all knowing each other, a Houston policeman shot and wounded a Harris County sheriff's deputy.
[I]Still waiting[/I]
But eight months later, Patty still can't get recompense from the U.S. government's decision to use his truck and employee without his permission.
His company, which hauls sand as part of hydraulic fracturing operations for oil and gas companies, was pushed to the brink of failure after the attack because the truck was knocked out of commission, he said.
Patty had only one other truck in operation.
In documents shared with the [URL="http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query="]Houston Chronicle[/URL], he is demanding that the DEA pay $133,532 in repairs and lost wages over the bullet-sprayed truck, and $1.3 million more for the damage to himself and his family, who fear retaliation by a drug cartel over the bungled narcotics sting.
"When you start a new business, there are obvious pitfalls you go through, a learning curve," said Patty, who before buying his two trucks worked in the pharmaceutical industry. "But who would ever be ready to deal with this?
"How am I — a small businessman, father of three, American Joe from Texas — supposed to make a claim against a federal agency that has conveniently shrouded itself behind a red, white and blue cloak of confidentiality and secrecy?"
Copies of letters and emails from Patty's insurance company state that it won't pay for repairs because the truck was part of a law-enforcement operation. Patty drew from his 401K retirement fund to repair the truck, which was out of operation for 100 days.
"I was not part of this," he said. "I had absolutely no knowledge of any of it until after it happened."
For its part, the DEA has not admitted that it was using Chapa as a spy because its official policy is not to comment on whether someone was an informant.
[URL="http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query="]Lisa Johnson[/URL], a spokeswoman for the DEA Houston Division, confirmed that Patty's demand had been received and noted that it would be investigated by the agency. But the Chronicle established Chapa was an informant based on interviews with multiple law-enforcement officials who spoke on the condition they not be named, and later by courtroom comments of prosecutors.
Patty's request chronicles much of what he's been through, including the operating costs for his trucks and everything repaired or replaced due to the attack. Among other disturbing chores was the need to hire a Spring-based company to clean up the mess in the cab caused by the killing.
Houston lawyer [URL="http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query="]Mark Bennett[/URL], who is advising Patty, said if Patty's initial claim is not resolved, the next step would be to sue.
[I]1,000-mile detour[/I]
Patty hired Chapa five weeks before the shooting and now wonders how many of the trips in the $90,000 rig included DEA work. GPS information from the truck reveals an unauthorized trek to the Rio Grande Valley in the days before Chapa was killed. He took a 1,000-mile round trip detour from the route he was supposed to travel.
Perhaps most unnerving, Patty says, is that drug mobsters now likely know his name, and certainly know his truck.
Panic at the Patty home these days can be triggered by something as simple as a deer scampering through the wooded yard or a car pulling into the driveway. One morning as his wife made breakfast, one of his young sons suddenly bolted across the house yelling, "Get the guns!"
A Bronco sport utility vehicle had pulled into the driveway past a broken gate. The dogs were barking in the darkness. Patty grabbed a pistol and headed for the front yard.
The Bronco pulled away, leaving a shiny object by the front walkway. It turned out to be the morning newspaper wrapped in a plastic bag reflecting a neighbor's floodlight.
The whole ordeal has forced his children to grow up more quickly than he'd like, Patty said.
"I wanted to keep them young as long as I could," he said. "I've gone to great lengths to keep my son believing in Santa Claus, and now I'm talking to him about death, mayhem and drug cartels.
"That is a huge canyon between the two."
The truck has a new driver, but there's still one bullet hole inside the truck's cab. A chunk of seat cushion, sliced out as evidence, has been covered with a patch.
"I really do not worry about driving it," said driver [URL="http://www.chron.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=news%2Fhouston-texas&search=1&inlineLink=1&query="]Norman Anderson[/URL] - as long is it doesn't involve a trip to South Texas.
"I feel like if I go there, I should put an 'X' on each side of my neck, draw a dotted line between them, and write, " 'cut here.' "
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[URL]http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Truck-owner-wants-DEA-to-pay-up-after-botched-3743683.php[/URL]
Another day in action movie land.
Quite a title you got there dude.
How do you even fuck up that bad in a sting operation. It sounds like something from a videogame or a movie.
All ya had to do was follow the train!
[QUOTE=PX1K;36989101]Another day in action movie land.[/QUOTE]
It really does sound like the plot of an action movie. Honestly I think it's just more proof that the "war on drugs" is causing way more harm than it is preventing. I'd understand if it was to break a heroin or scopolamine ring, but all this for marijuana? That hardly seems worth the damages caused.
Scopolamine is the drug that makes users/victims extremely susceptible to outside suggestion, isn't it? I saw a documentary here a while ago but can't exactly remember the name of the drug.
[QUOTE=AJisAwesome15;36989134]Quite a title you got there dude.[/QUOTE]
Reddit titles man. Reddit titles
Dear god why.
The war on drugs should be discontinued. Just to try and catch some mexican's with a plant ended up with an innocent civilian dead, and another innocent civilian with a mark on his head and his families.
The DEA needs to go away.
[QUOTE=Ekalektik_1;36989155]Honestly I think it's just more proof that the "war on drugs" is causing way more harm than it is preventing.[/QUOTE]
Well it's not like they aren't getting anything done - sure they aren't completely getting the job done but it's not like they aren't stopping a huge flow of all types of drugs.
Federal agencies, just fill in the blank.
[QUOTE=kryll;36989204]The DEA needs to go away.[/QUOTE]
No, they need to stay. They do a lot more then just things like this.
[QUOTE] For its part, the DEA has not admitted that it was using Chapa as a spy because its official policy is not to comment on whether someone was an informant. [/QUOTE]
Assholes
[QUOTE=nivek;36989253]Well it's not like they aren't getting anything done - sure they aren't completely getting the job done but it's not like they aren't stopping a huge flow of all types of drugs.[/QUOTE]
And ruining innocent civilian lives while at it!
Smooth operation, DEA.
Boxes mean I'm manly.
Driver doesnt own truck, they let the company pay for reapirs after using it before, they use a truck they dont own and a worker from an unrelated company. Cool.
[QUOTE=Zero Ziat;36989287]And ruining innocent civilian lives while at it!
Smooth operation, DEA.[/QUOTE]
Blowing this way out of proportion. Operations can get fucked up here and there. Its not like everytime the DEA does something that 200 random people get killed
[QUOTE=areolop;36989315]Blowing this way out of proportion. Operations can get fucked up here and there. Its not like everytime the DEA does something that 200 random people get killed[/QUOTE]
yeah cause no one's rights were violated here at all
The Alphabet Army doing what it does best.
Anyone having Déjà vu?
if i know my 80s movies correctly, the story isn't over yet guys
all we need now is for the cop that loses his badge to become a loose cannon, working outside of the law to take down the drug lords that set this all up
[QUOTE=Bobie;36989355]if i know my 80s movies correctly, the story isn't over yet guys
all we need now is for the cop that loses his badge to become a loose cannon, working outside of the law to take down the drug lords that set this all up[/QUOTE]
Where's Foley.
[QUOTE=areolop;36989315]Blowing this way out of proportion. Operations can get fucked up here and there. Its not like everytime the DEA does something that 200 random people get killed[/QUOTE]
I just don't think an innocent family unrelated to the case who didn't sign anything and wasn't aware of what the DEA was doing has to get the shit end of the stick.
[editline]29th July 2012[/editline]
It's just not fair for them. Now they live in fear of what goes on around the house.
[QUOTE=Zero Ziat;36989465]I just don't think an innocent family unrelated to the case[B] who didn't sign anything[/B] and wasn't [B]aware of what the DEA was doing[/B] has to get the shit end of the stick.
[/QUOTe]
Fair, no. But thats life.
Life isnt fair. This comment had nothing to do with 'omg he thinks that those people dying is just life'.
Only 1.3 million? If he sued, I'm sure he'd get way more than that.
Thank god the ATF wasn't involved, the body count would have been in the hundreds.
[QUOTE=areolop;36989521]Fair, no. But thats life.[/QUOTE]
You're serious?
Playing devil's advocate for cops is one thing (because cops are awesome) but fuck off DEA and ATF just dismantle them and put them in the secret service or something they'd love that shit
[QUOTE=areolop;36989521]Fair, no. But thats life.[/QUOTE]
A government agency stealing over $100, 000 worth of equipment from you and getting it shot to hell full of drugs during a botched operation in which people died ... is life?
You need to seriously stop watching action movies and redefine what 'life' is.
Nothing that transpired here is acceptable.
This is seriously fucked up. They had no right doing this to that business.
[QUOTE=areolop;36989521]Fair, no. But thats life.[/QUOTE]
Oh, so the guy who's truck was pretty much stolen by the DEA, lost thousands of dollars because his truck was being used to catch people with a goddamn plant, and now may have to close down his business since he lost so much money unless he manages to sue the fuck out of the DEA to the point they'll be feeling it for the next century. He'll most likely be shot dead or kidnapped by drug cartels because of this. But it's okay because that's life?
What, are you trying to be "that guy"?
[QUOTE=Zero Ziat;36989287]And ruining innocent civilian lives while at it!
Smooth operation, DEA.
Boxes mean I'm manly.[/QUOTE]
No, Boxes mean you're dumb.
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