Organized crimes have increased in the world today posing a big challenge to the authority of any nation. Criminal have changed the way they carry out their activities making it very hard for the law to fight as asserted by (Juliano, 2000). Members involved in organized crimes have those grown into very strong groups with leaders spread all over the world. Government and law authority have put up strategies to assist them reduce the flow of this drug to the community. The strategies that have been in use today is strengthening of and enhancing intelligence forces across the country borders, prosecution, dismantling and disrupting drug flow networks and organization.
In this case the investigation that was carried out was as result of an organized crime of drug trafficking by members of a group of drug lords that goes by the name San Luis Obispo. They have been major suspect of drug trafficking in Los Angeles. This group according to the law of the land have violated "federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) act". This act is used to charge all those who are suspected of illegal activities including drug trafficking. In the alleged crime there was mass transportation of illicit drugs across the borders by this group (Wilson, 2008). Moreover, the group had masterminded many crimes in the country for example murder and rape. The members of this group are a threat in the society as they are posed as being ready to do anything for money. The group has also shown that they murder members of their own group to have control of the drug organization.
They common aspects of this group are use of violence and, intimidation to make sure that their goals are realized. The investigation of this crime was by the help of "Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Attorney General's Organized Crime Council, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), United States Secret Service, U.S. Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Los Angeles Police Department, and the U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service (IRS)" (Cole & Christopher, 2010).
The organized crime investigations commission was very helpful in this investigation as it helps in greater length in the prosecution of those associated with organized crimes of drug trafficking. The group comprises seven members having one of the members as the attorney general and the rest of the member obtaining their membership following the appointment by the governor who is advised by the senate on the way to go about it. Two of the appointed offices are prosecuting attorneys; two are chief municipal law enforcement officers while the other two holds the office of county sheriffs as noted by (Scheb 2011). The mandate of this commission is to coordinate and to carry out various investigations that concerns organized crimes.
They carry out their actions and duties following "section 177.02 of the Revised Code" and hence they would provide a great help in this investigation. The commission carries out its activities in close cooperation with various departments and officers of the government who assist in containing and fighting organized crimes. Some of the acts that will be used in prosecution of the drug dealers in this investigation will include "Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act". This act was undertaken by the congress to assist the government to improve and enhance its activities in fighting organized crimes and mostly in drug trafficking.
Title III of this act gives federal law authority to wiretap different conversations that are undertaken by various organization and person who are suspects of organized crime. The "Organized Crime Control Act" will also be useful in carrying the investigation as it have been seen to strengthen the capability of the government in fighting and prosecuting various individuals and organization associated with organized crime according to (Arnold, 2008). This act has given special grand juries a lot of aid in the investigation of crimes that are considered to be multi jurisdiction. The jury in these investigations gives a report with outline of organized crime activities and operations in the drug trafficking. To combat international organized crime a framework has been established that is essential in this investigation and will much help to fight different organized crimes; the strategies are as outlined
Marshall information and intelligence which portrays different ways of collecting, dissemination and analysis of the intelligence information that is obtained from different sources of intelligence, partners and even private sectors (Arnold, 2008). Attacking from all angles is another strategy that employs available law enforcement and non-law enforcement tools. This strategy take into account the expertise of different agencies which can either be domestic or foreign and also different government sanctions and advisories strategies.
Enterprise theory strategy helps in development of aggressive strategies that assist in bringing down the activities of criminal organizations. It destroys the leadership of this organization by use of various proactive investigative techniques and comprehensive prosecution. Prioritizing and targeting on the most significant threats is another strategy that target organized criminal organization which is spread in the international realms. This helps in coordination of very investigation that is used in prosecution of these organizations. The "UN convention against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic substances" helps in greater length in this investigation and in the prosecution of drug related cases. The Vienna Convention was the first international response against drug, trafficking (Scheb 2011). This convention calls for strengthening and encouraging effective legal means for cooperation in the international crime. Witness Protection is a strategy that helps in combating organized crime since high-ranking members of Luis Obispo drug Trafficking organized crime group have cooperated and testified in mob cases.
Electronic Surveillance by use of wiretap recordings were used in this investigation. They were mostly used in conjunction with cooperating witness testimony to show a complete picture of a criminal organization's illegal activity (Wilson, 2008). Wiretap evidence has the actual record of the defendants' own conversations and thus is very effective in prosecuting those alleged of drug trafficking. For one reason that this organization operates internationally the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime is a very helpful tool in the prosecution and investigation of the organized crime cases that are reported to have been committed in other countries. Department of Justice, "Organized Crime and Racketeering Section (OCRS)", having the mandate to oversee federal organized crime prosecutions will be very helpful in prosecution of this crime case. It has very organized crime Strike Force Unit in United States Attorneys' Offices (USAOs).
Today's the takedown of Drug Trafficking organization is indicative of the law enforcement's resolution to investigate and prosecute those criminals who use violence and intimidation in promoting and protecting their criminal organizations. According to the racketeering indictment, San Luis Obispo crime group is close relative of the Mexican Mafia, a prison gang that controls much of the narcotics distribution. Though there is a lot of effort to overcome organized crimes, the massive monies that are derived from these illicit activities make it a very big challenge to control (Wilson, 2008).
To effectively combat drug trafficking there should be maximum utilization of investigative, resources and capabilities, and innovative techniques. Department of Justice should assist law enforcement agencies to effectively respond to multijurisdictional narcotics trafficking activities. There should be enhancement of shared management of resources, joint operational decision making, the federal law enforcement agencies should enhance the way in which they fight drug trafficking organizations through improved investigation, prosecution, and conviction.
In conclusion, multiagency enforcement response should also be enhanced to target drug traffickers' conspiracies operating across multiple jurisdictions. This investigation found the need to have clarity as to the legal framework of any mission before deployment; international police must understand the political context, the nature of the conflict that brought them to the region and the nature of the criminal activities that they are going to face. Also policing must be looked at as a part of the rule of law continuum that comprises the judiciary and the penal institutions.