17. Department of Justice · Notable
Prosecute interstate drug activity including possession of distributable quantities
Printed page 555 17. Department of Justice
“Rigorously prosecute as much interstate drug activity as possible, including simple possession of distributable quantities.”
What has happened
- Partially done
The charging policy requires prosecutors to pursue the most serious readily provable drug offense, naming the 21 U.S.C. 851 prior-conviction enhancement, and the cartels memorandum suspends internal approval requirements for the heaviest charges against cartels and transnational criminal organizations, including Continuing Criminal Enterprise and Kingpin Act counts. Interstate drug prosecution is being pushed to its statutory ceiling. Neither memorandum reaches the specific instruction in the Quote — charging simple possession of distributable quantities — and no policy on that has been published.
Research log
What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence
Research notes
Searched the headquarters press output for a charging policy on possession quantities; the department’s drug announcements are trafficking, distribution and conspiracy cases.
- Action
- expand
- Object
- interstate drug prosecutions
- ID
- 1545