Inspectors Find Nearly 3,000 Pounds of Drug-Making Chemicals at LAX

One of the largest shipments of "precursor" chemicals used in drug making in years was discovered at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in late September. Inspectors for the United States Customs and Border Protection discovered 40 drums containing over 2,000 pounds of methylamine hydrochloride and two drums containing more than 800 pounds of ethyl phenyl acetate on September 29th at an air cargo facility near LAX and seized them before they could be moved. Methylamine hydrochloride and ethyl phenyl acetate are known as "precursor" compounds because both are used in the manufacturing of methamphetamines and the drug ecstasy. The containers were among a shipment that arrived from China, ultimately headed to somewhere in Illinois.

As any Los Angeles Drug Crime Defense Attorney can tell you, being involved in drug making operations is serious business. Both California and federal laws prohibit the manufacture of illegal drugs such as methamphetamines, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin and even marijuana, which is technically legal to use in some states under certain circumstances. A Los Angeles Drug Crime Defense Attorney can tell you that most drug crime offenses will land you in a state or federal prison for anywhere from 5 to 40 years. If you have been charged with a drug crime, you need an experienced Los Angeles Drug Crime Defense Attorney to defend you because drug crimes typically are punishable per offense, meaning each separate offense can carry its own prison sentence that can be strung together with consecutive prison terms, leaving you in prison for a decade or more if you are convicted of multiple drug crimes. An experienced Los Angeles Drug Crime Defense Attorney can tell you that even the possession of the materials to make drugs is illegal, along with the possession of actual drugs. Possession of the materials is particularly damning in court because even if prosecutors cannot prove you did, indeed, use certain chemicals to make drugs, simply having the chemicals in your possession with a proven intention to use them to make drugs can be enough to land you in jail. Judges in criminal cases involving drugs also have mandatory minimums when sentencing, meaning that as long as you are convicted of a drug offense that meets the minimum criteria, the judge cannot give you a more lenient sentence even if he or she wants to. If you have been charged with a drug crime, call the attorneys at Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP today at 1-877-781-1570 to speak to an experienced Los Angeles Drug Crime Defense Attorney and get the expert guidance you need.