My toys have become enemies of the state

[Hepcat]

The thing that angers me most about this experience is that they did not identify themselves before entering my house.  They acted like mailmen delivering my packages.  Once they were inside, they flashed a badge and announced they were "federal agents."  They never said whether they were Homeland Security, ATF, FBI, CIA, SS, KKK, or whatever.  I have no idea what agency they represented.  They were not all wearing the same uniform, so there might have been multiple agencies involved.  They entered my house under false pretenses, then intimidated me with their exposed holsters.  If the boxes had been suspicious, they could have opened them at the post office.  They could have x-rayed them, had dogs sniff them, or done any number of things instead of invading my house.  There was no excuse for it, no justification, no rationale.  All I did was mail some freaking boxes.

Report your experience to the press. The alternative newspaper in your locale would love your story. At least you'll be able to embarrass whoever was responsible.

These guys do this stuff all the time, they know what to look for and can tell if someone if truthful lying, body language stuff, even how the boxes were packed etc most of the time.    Unless they asked to search other areas of your home  I wouldn't worry about it.   I'm sure they know your not doing anything wrong......or are you        Seriously though if they thought even slightly you were doing wrong they would have cuffed and arrested you, then searched everything.

Nonetheless, they should still be embarrassed.

[Gillfan]

Actually, police and federal agents DO NOT have to identify themselves, and under some circumstances, are not even required to knock before entering. Remember, much of the "police" work you see on tv and movies is not real. That's why I'm not a lawyer despite having watched Law & Order for nearly two decades.

[Hepcat]

Actually, police and federal agents DO NOT have to identify themselves, and under some circumstances, are not even required to knock before entering.

Any updates, Ray?

[seed_murda]

Actually, police and federal agents DO NOT have to identify themselves, and under some circumstances, are not even required to knock before entering. Remember, much of the "police" work you see on tv and movies is not real. That's why I'm not a lawyer despite having watched Law & Order for nearly two decades.

Yea sure if they have a warrant they can come on in.... They most certainly do have to identify themselves. Who's to say they were real and not just trying to make a buck?  I know this because I have been in this postion before, not because of tv.

[raycastile]

Any updates, Ray?

I am in touch with a legal organization.  Not hard to guess which one, but just the same, I'm not saying more about it for the time being.  I don't know if litigation will result, but I am putting wheels in motion.  Bottom line, I am not taking this lying down.  Those cowboys should not have been able to do what they did, the way they did it, for the reasons they stated.  If the law says it's OK, then the law needs to be changed.

[Sean]

The Feds can get away with a ton.  Did the agents damage your house or property in any way, Ray?  A family member of mine had an experience where they barged into the house with riot gear and weapons.  They had mistaken the house as being inhabited by different rentors.  They had been staking the house out, somehow decided the house and rentors were who they were looking for and broke the door down.  They scared my cousin's father-in-law practically to death and had him cuffed---hands behind back---when his daughter got home.  They didn't clean up when they realized they were wrong and I don't believe the agents apologized too much.  I assume damages were paid for the physical damage to the property, but I don't think much else came of it.

It made the newpapers, but died quickly.

I get anxious when I see a cop in my rearview mirror.  I can't imagine being them or you.  Do what will make you feel better-------but don't expect much to happen.  I hope you're OK, Ray.

[taraco]

Ray, given the intensity of the visit -- several armed men entering your house -- I can only conjecture that someone (maybe a nervous postal clerk?), reported not only the 'suspicious' circumstances of changing the mailing conditions, but also, sadly, profiled you.  And I don't blame you for being upset.

Way back in the 1960s, I was a card-carrying hippie but a law-abiding one (well, mostly; heh.)

Anyhow, one afternoon when I was home from college for the summer, an FBI guy came to the door of my family's house and started questioning me.  Apparently one of the guys I lived with in the 'commune' at college had a brother who was a draft dodger and who had visited Cuba -- which was a way bigger no-no then than it is now -- and had apparently called the house we lived in on the single phone there, or had been called from the phone. Or something like that. Possibly the phone was in my name.

I remember being downstairs talking to the guy with my mother at the top of the stairs saying 'who are you talking to? What's going on? -- and the FBI guy saying sorry to hassle you. And I said, 'Well, I feel I AM being hassled.' I remember that bit of bravado very clearly.

Finally convinced I was clueless, off he went. But my mother was obviously suspicious and angry, I was shaken, and here I am 40+ years later sitting here typing about it.

What bothers me the most about your story is the scale of the visit. Because sadly, of course being on the lookout and vigilance is fine and yes, all people who deal in travel and shipments should be alert. But as many have posted here, there were plenty of ways to check out the packages before the need to send armed men to your father's house.

Maybe it was the UMA part that scared them!! 'Army???'

Be well my friend. And stand tall.

david

[raycastile]

Thanks David!

[Scatter]

Don't be surprised if you get a call in a few weeks asking if you'd be interested in purchasing a large amount of fertilizer at wholesale.  I'm not kidding.  I got one of those because I was put on a "watch" list.

I told you to stop wearing that turban.

[FACTO2]

I don't wear a turban.  I wear a fez.  Fezzes are cool.   

http://static.fjcdn.com/gifs/Fez_aa457e_728324.gif

[Scatter]

And here we have the COOLEST fez in creation!



Laurel and Hardy's fezzes from the classic "Sons Of The Desert".



Me wanty!!

[FACTO2]

LOL.  I like this.  Wish boards had a simple like button.  Oh well.

[judd]

You should report this to Fox news.  They love to air stories about government gone wild.

[Anton Phibes]

United States government agencies seem to go out of their way to avoid "profiling" these days. TSA is a prime example. Randomly searching the leg casts of wheelchair bound children, and forcing elderly women who can barely stand up to strip. They seem very pc. Although the entire affair was an invasion of your expectation of privacy....this is the world post 9-11-2001.  The agent probably told you the truth. Gigantic boxes for quick shipment would seem suspicious if you had been trained to be on alert for such.

After the variety of anthrax scares,uni-bombers, 9-11 attackers etc., I would say delivery people are always on alert. As for the possibility of profiling---the possibility will always exist I suppose to some extent. But I think they want to avoid being involved in such.   My father used to haul freight for the government. He went to a variety of military bases. In their truck, there were a variety of safety and lockdown features, as well as a link for comms and a panic button in case anyone tried to hi-jack their cargo. You have the same complexion as my dad....and they let him onto bases countrywide. Unless you have some proof either spoken or written that they did indeed use profiling---it's gonna be hard to prove. I am glad they didnt tear up any of your stuff though. If they had done that---then a lawsuit might be a little more winnable. Destruction of personal property being involved. Interesting story.

[Dr. Madd]

Welcome to Totalitarian America, and sad to say, it'll be worse before it gets better.