On the border between Texas and Mexico, authorities are on the constant lookout for drug traffickers. The majority of Texas residents who cross back and forth over the border from Mexico to the United States do not carry drugs with them, but some do and when authorities catch them the penalties can be stiff. However, it is not unheard of for an individual to be accused of drug charges after he or she unwittingly transported narcotics across the border – for example, if someone unknown to them secretly plants a controlled substance inside his or her vehicle.
Recently, a man from West Texas filed a lawsuit against Ford Motor Co., alleging that the carmaker made its key codes available to the public, which gave drug traffickers the ability to put marijuana inside the trunk of his car before he crossed the border. The man had been convicted of drug charges in 2011. He was in danger of serving a prison sentence of over three years until he was later exonerated of the charges.
According to an affidavit by the FBI in 2011, drug traffickers made use of a locksmith to copy car keys, which allowed them to secretly hide drugs inside of vehicles. Attorneys for the man who was nearly sentenced to prison say that Ford does not have any protocol in place to prevent lawbreakers from making keys for any vehicle they want. In response, Ford denies that they failed to warn the man of the danger that other people could gain access to his key codes.
It is not uncommon for Texas residents to be accused and convicted of a crime they never committed. Sometimes, legal facts and scenarios can make it appear that a person is guilty of a crime when in fact he or she is a law abiding citizen. The consequences of being convicted of drug charges can be serious and life-destroying. Any individual accused of such crimes can seek professional assistance to launch a spirited and aggressive defense, and in the best of cases, receive a not-guilty verdict from a jury of their peers.
Source: thestate.com, “Unwitting South TX drug mule sues Ford Motor Co.,” July 29, 2013
