Drug Transportation
If you have never tried drugs but still operate in and around people who do traffic drugs in Tampa, you are still setting yourself up for trouble. People who transport the drugs are very important to an operation, and are a source for a lot of money for distributors higher up. The police look to those who transport or traffic the drugs, as integral parts of the operation and charge them with a separate crime.
Drug Transportation in Tampa Florida
- Drug trafficking charges will be determined on several factors as well. How much drugs are being transported? What type of drug is being sent? Is the drug crossing state lines? Is the drug crossing many states lines to reach Tampa? Or the stiffest drug trafficking charges come when drugs enter the US from another country and are transported across state lines.
- The drug charges between trafficking and distribution are different. Transportation is the act of bringing in the drug illegally whereas the distribution charges are actually selling it to another person. One person can be charged on both counts, however, if there is enough evidence that says they were doing both. For a person who is arrested for the first time, the penalties will not be as stiff as if they were for a second or third time offender.
Other Charges Associated with Drug Transportation
- Other drug charges that a person may face when drug transportation charges are filed against them include drug paraphernalia – if they contained any apparatus used to smoke or use the drug – or drug possession with intent to distribute. The charges can be stacked against a person by a prosecutor for more than one reason. If the person is suspected of being involved in a drug operation, leveling charges may be a way to get more information in return for giving information on people higher than them in the operation. The charges might be reduced for that information.
- Drug transportation charges for drugs coming in from Cuba, South America or other countries are higher than for drugs being transported across state lines. For example, driving with pot in a vehicle from Florida to Georgia will earn you a small fee and potentially jail time. Transporting drugs that came in from Cuba up to South Carolina will land you huge fines, jail time and potentially other charges involved with the type of drug you are trafficking.
Drug charges are a serious crime in Tampa. If you or a loved one have fallen in to trouble with drugs, it is best to hire an attorney who knows the laws and can best represent you or the loved one in court. There are usually opportunities to plea to a lesser charge in return for information or cooperation with the authorities. Only an attorney will be able to negotiate getting lesser charges for the accused. Handling a drug case on your own is not recommended, since the law is complicated and there might be many charges involved against the person. Drug transportation charges might also include charges in other nearby states if you were caught outside of Florida with drugs from Florida.
