For more information, please see our ), then I say check it through from origin to destination. @media screen and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 768px) { Do they arrest people with personal amounts of marijuana? So if you need help with your baggage or somewhere to store it while you explore your stops, Amtrak offers baggage assistance and temporary bag storage at many stations. So the size of the garment bag was never challenged. Two recent articles about the Drug Enforcement Administration harassing Amtrak passengers have elicited like . Where can I take my animal to relieve itself? Please enter a password. There area lot of people traveling on the train with something they dont want the government knowing about, McKenzie said in an interview with The Intercept, and law enforcement all along the route are aware of this fact as well. He walks away, his partner following, and exits the train. "The Last Great City of the East," St. Paul, MN. Coming back home on the CS 11, we got off in San Francisco for three nights, then a night in Monterey. Free ID tags are available at all of our stations. I should probably log off and back on. (23 kg) and 28 x 22 x 14 inches each, onboard. Maybe thats a coincidence. DEA Agent Jay Perry boards the Southwest Chief in Albuquerque to question passengers and search luggage on March 15, 2019. Your password must be at least 8 characters long, include at least 1 alpha character, and include at least 1 number or special character (- ? / : ; < = > ? Cops patrolling train stations are typically using a tactic that law enforcement calls the cold consent encounter, so named because they approach people cold, on thin evidence they are drug couriers, and passengers consent to the searches, at least according to the officers versions of events. When I read your article I was shocked because I went through a series of incidents. Might I ask what kind of room you'll be in? Special Agent Perry sometimes tells the people he searches that hes at the station for security purposes, but the line between protecting travelers andintimidating them has been the subject of debate at this station. What should I do if my animal needs medical attention while on the train? In order to qualify as a service animal your pet must be individually trained to perform tasks or do work to assist a person with a disability. Your email address will not be published. Amtrak does offer checked baggage services on some routes and some stations, but you must check their website to make sure that the stations you're using provide checked baggage services. live Amtrak Police Communications Officer who will correspond directly via text messag e with the person to learn more about the situation and determine the appropriate action . Each item should not exceed 50 lbs. My job used to be as a paid political operative. If they do, you may check two bags for free, and up to two additional ones for $20 each. An Amtrak Police Department canine in Chicago named Gander has detected the smell of narcotics on luggage that turned out to be carrying anywhere from a modest $20,040 to a whopping $830,000 . Again, the bags can't be heavier than 50 pounds or . This is also my first time traveling with Amtrak, I went with a . ACLU New Mexico Executive Director Peter Simonson said that travelers who are approached on the train or other mass transit often dont know that they have the right to refuse police searches. Every ride counts as an Amtrak Guest Rewards member. What are you gonna do about it, asshole? Perry allegedly responded. The couple said that the agents then pulled out Diana Arutinovas bras and underwear from her bag, while making jokes, and threw clothing and shoes from her luggage onto the floor. . An incident of harassment weighed on one reader for many years: I am still very disturbed by an event much like yours that happened more than 2 decades ago. Law enforcement has been trying to intercept drug couriers on Amtrak trains for many years. But the defendant agreed to a plea deal shortly after the opinion was published, ending further inquiry into the matter. You may bring your own food and beverages onboard for consumption at your seat or private Sleeping Car accommodations. Above all, they are violating the rights of Americans daily. _ @ " $ # ,). Feel free to pack any bottles of alcohol safely and securely inside your allotted amount of luggage. Personal food and beverages are allowed in the upper level of Superliner Sightseer Lounges. You should go to the nearest Amtrak personnel and they will assist you. You may bring aboard your own private stock of alcoholic beverages subject to the following limitations: If you anticipate requiring medication en route, please carry it with you aboard your train. In Kansas City, DEA agents and local officers with the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force await passengers on the train heading east. I then stated that I thought it was unfair that I had been singled out. It was a drug dog, and it alerted my bag. I had a sleeper car as I was going from Austin to Los Angeles. Because of fundraising, campaigns sometimes don't pay you till a month in. Pacific Surfliner: up to 28 x 22 x 11 inches each. Personally, I've never had anyone check my luggage on any train, but I also don't travel with any kind of drugs beyond my prescriptions. Passwords are case sensitive. A young, disheveled man in a seat by the entrance to the car agrees to let Perry search his three bags. You dont understand the opportunity that you have, he told the kids. appeared to have illegally searched his bag, They harassed mathematician Aaron Heuser and. I've never had my bag checked on Amtrak, and they only do that at places where they have Amtrak police permanently stationed, like in New York and Chicago. A: Yes, you can absolutely bring alcohol onto an Amtrak train as long as it remains unopened. Advance check-in is recommended. When you travel with us, you can carry-on two free pieces of luggage. What do I need to do when I arrive at the station? There are some restrictions on what can be checked as baggage including:-Baggage must not exceed 50 lbs.-Baggage must not exceed 62 inches when the length width and height are added together.-Baggage must be properly packaged and labeled. If you're going to be in a Bedroom or Family Bedroom, you should have plenty of space in the room to keep all your bags. ! " Get flash sales, Amtrak Guest Rewards promotions and account updates sent directly to your inbox. 122 W Boston Ave, 2nd Floor I am traveling with a service animal. Self-serve trainside checked baggage service is available to and from the following stations only: Charleston, WV; Cincinnati, OH; Columbus, WI; Crawfordsville, IN; Dyer, IN; Hammond, LA; Lafayette, IN; Meridian, MS; Mount Pleasant, IA; Rensselaer, IN; Texarkana, AR; Tuscaloosa, AL; Winona, MN. The rest of my luggage generally sits in the luggage rack on the lower level. That might be illegal, but the agents cover . r/Amtrak is for anything Amtrak related. Baggage. Please enter a valid station, city, or address. Passwords are case sensitive. Bags are not to exceed 50 pounds and 75 linear inches (length + width + height). Dominic Jones, bottom left, and Megan, top right, are two of the roughly 327,000 people who ride the Southwest Chief in a year. News, photos, questions, and more. Get flash sales, Amtrak Guest Rewards promotions and account updates sent directly to your inbox. From prison, McKenzie sent me documents from his case, marking several pages with Post-its, including a note that a juror wrote. All rights reserved. When McKenzies case went before a jury in 2011, they could only rule on whether he was carrying a mixture containing a minimum of 500 grams of cocaine with intent to distribute. That was in the days before 20-30 seater turbo prop puddle jumpers, and I usually flew into major cities. terms and conditions More problematically, Perry has been captured on surveillance footage boarding empty Greyhound buses and pulling bags out of the checked luggage bin. By signing in to your account you acknowledge you have read and agree to the updated terms and conditions, including the binding arbitration agreement. I took an Amtrak train to Chicago for Spring Awakening and security was basically non-existent at my starting destination. We recommend that you accept assistance from only uniformed Red Cap agents. The juror misspelled his name, but its the sentiment expressed that matters to McKenzie. Customers that don't have an Amtrak ticket may store items for $20 per item for 24 hours (valid photo ID required). / : ; < = > ? The app and train indicate if you can check bags on your journey. The ride is peaceful, with no Wi-Fi to pass the time, the security seemingly nonexistent. After a while, I found a huge garment bag with wheels on it! Although I have far more readers on the Acela corridor than anywhere else on the Amtrak system, and although that corridor serves the most passengers by a wide margin, I have yet to receive a story of anyone being harassed by the DEA on that route. Enter a valid Guest Rewards number or email address. As it happened, I did not actually have any ID on me, except for a local government employee ID issued by a New York State authority. In a sleeping car, the only ones using that luggage rack in the car will be the occupants in that specific car. @ [ \ ] ^ _ ` < | > ~. The fee for the first checked bag is $20 and the fee for the second checked bag is $30. Its a legal loophole of sorts, commonly used by DEA agents working mass transit to get around the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, which protects people from unreasonable searches. Are there any other restrictions for bringing a service animal on Amtrak? The complete baggage policy is available on . _ @ " $ # ,). Thats when two plainclothes agents come aboard the train on a rainy day in March 2019. (Each car, both sleepers and coach, have a luggage rack.) The train leaves every day in both directions, passing through the same rural route once crossed by traders in the 1800s. Fortress Bank 3260 E 53rd Amtrak is pretty good with checked luggage (better than the airlines) and it's one less thing to concern yourself with on board. Passwords are case sensitive. Others have shared that they were pulled from the train at odd hours along with their checked bags to be searched at unknown facilities along the route. They alerted the Department of Justices Office of Inspector General, which determined in an investigation that the payments were wasting substantial government funds, according to a heavily redacted copy of the OIG report obtained by The Intercept via a Freedom of Information Act request. An Amtrak Police Department canine in Chicago named Gander has detected the smell of narcotics on luggage that turned out to be carrying anywhere from a modest $20,040 to a whopping $830,000, according to asset forfeiture suits filed by the U.S. government within the past year and a half. Amtraks Southwest Chiefis the third-longest passenger rail line in the United States, taking about 327,000 people between Chicago and Los Angeles in 2018. McKenzie, the drugdealer, also unsuccessfully fought his case on the basis that the search of his property on an Amtrak train was unconstitutional. Passengers tell stories of being awakened on a stop and being searched right there at their seats. Carry-on bags must not exceed the 50 lb limit. Whenever I had to travel with a larger-than-carry-on suitcase, I'd ship the business stuff a day or two earlier via UPS. That was it. Sometimes, in rare cases, the checked bags will not be on the same train as you. His name is Jarrell, or Jay, Perry, and hes done it hundreds of times before. The person who recruited the Amtrak secretary as a DEA snitch described him to Department of Justice auditors in 2015 as one of the most valuable interdiction informants the DEA has ever known. Amtrak itineraries were a goldmine, the person added, responsible for the seizure of millions of dollars.. For each drug bust or cash seizure that the DEA made thanks to this information, the Amtrak secretary was rewarded a cut of the proceeds. @ [ \ ] ^ _ ` < | > ~. Earn points toward reward travel, upgrades and more. Luggage must be checked prior to your train's scheduled train departure. Law enforcement and the DEAs efforts have failed to stop the availability of marijuana and narcotics. Passwords are case sensitive, should be at least 10 characters long and should include 1 uppercase and 1 lowercase alpha character, 1 number and 1 special character. I literally walked past a dog and an officer and the dog sniffed my bag and my friends' bags (we all had some various substances) and nothing happened. There is no mandatory check-in at the station (with perhaps a couple of exceptions, I believe L.A. is one), you just get on the train and go. Your password must be at least 8 characters long, include at least 1 alpha character, and include at least 1 number or special character (- ? Does the DEA or ICE get on there? Passwords are case sensitive. Perry is running out of time before the train will have to continue without him, and possibly without a passenger or two, 70 miles northeast to Lamy, New Mexico. Does Amtrak offer checked baggage services? This last reader was once inconvenienced for an hour while the DEA searched her Amtrak train. Who is this guy, why is he harassing these people? She interrupted Perry while he interviewed a group of Hispanic women downstairs, asking to see his credentials. Even if he searched and found a moderate amount of drugs in my bags, how does he prove they're mine? We will send password reset instructions. Consider what the world of media would look like without The Intercept. My wife and I are taking 763 from Anaheim to LAX, and then taking 14 to Seattle in a sleeper car. Because he told me he was an officer, the young passenger in Albuquerque later said, explaining why he agreed to the search. and They have targeted passengers in sleeper cars and those in coach. Rivers responded yes, just like everyone else had, and the agent took him up on it. Please enter a valid station, city, or address. I still feel so violated, and was approached exactly the same way as others in your story. Passengers luggage stored on the Southwest Chief. I would always try to go by Sleeper Car because your meals are included and the bathroom facilities are much better. Three years later, in February 2018, a woman called Beth boarded the Southwest Chief in Chicago, heading west. Animals including comfort animals. We are not associated with Amtrak in any way, official inquiries should be referred to Amtrak. Archery equipment. In court, the officer will have to prove that there was probable cause to do a warrantless search and this will give your lawyer a good chance to win your case. If checked baggage is available, you can check two bags through to your final . privacy policy. *Service animals are allowed onboard with restrictions. In theory, they. Without realizing that the agents had already flagged his itinerary as suspicious, McKenzie opened his Louis Vuitton bag, revealing a cereal box at the bottom that the agents noticed was unusually heavy. Amtrak has its own modest-sized police department, but they rarely check bags before people board. privacy policy. # $ % & ' ( ) * + , - . -The Coast Starlight which offers service between Seattle and Los Angeles. Oops, that answer wasn't quite right. Special Menus & Special Dietary Requirements. Significantly fewer people have access to your bags on Amtrak than at an airport. Get flash sales, Amtrak Guest Rewards promotions and account updates sent directly to your inbox. Passwords are case sensitive. An email with password reset instructions is on the way. How do I know if my pet qualifies as a service animal? You can trust both checked and carry-on baggage about as well as you can trust them on an airline, if not more so. Simply enter the origin and destination stations and the website will list the services offered at each station. For more information, please see our 311 E Main St #210, But prior defendants in Albuquerque had tried similar arguments, and the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals had determined in 2004 that it wasnt illegal for law enforcement to access Amtrak passenger records because they werent the sole basis of arrests; the consensual encounters were. Earn points toward reward travel, upgrades and more. We're here to help you get the most of your journey by train. The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. (The Lake Shore Limited does not cross international borders.) The story was thisthe law enforcement agent (who was very polite) woke everyone up gently, one at a time, and asked if they were U.S. citizens. McKenzie argued that Amtrak shouldnt be sharing passenger itineraries at all and questioned whether there really even was an informant, as the DEA claimed. Refusing a search protects you if you end up in court. Please enter a valid station, city, or address. January 4, 2018 advocatesforu. Yes all food and water bowls must be placed on the floor. Sometimes, the fact that a person is traveling on a one-way ticket, for example, is enough to flag a passenger for a search. Get flash sales, Amtrak Guest Rewards promotions and account updates sent directly to your inbox. Disclaimer | Site Map | Privacy Policy. 3. and When I took the train from Chicago(IL) to K-Falls(OR) early this year, I took the California Zephyr #5 then the Coast Starlight #14 via transfer at Sacramento(CA), but my checked bags were loaded on the Empire Builder #8/28 then the Coast Starlight #11 via Portland(OR). #3. There has been a police state, a profit-driven one, rising in this country due to drugs prohibition. Special Menus & Special Dietary Requirements. Federal health regulations prohibit Amtrak personnel from handling your food, heating it in our ovens, or storing it in our refrigerators. A view of the Albuquerque Amtrak and Greyhound terminal on March 15, 2019. on about your day, ask yourself: How likely is it that the story you just read would have been produced by a different news outlet if The Intercept hadnt done it? (The ACLU of New Mexicos Simonson says they later reached an out-of court settlement with the DEA.). You should inform the nearest Amtrak personnel of your situation and they will assist you. Please enter a password. Then she appears to open her purse for him. Greyhound bus service declined to address the allegations that Perry or other DEA agents had touched or opened passengers bags, but added that the company does not provide passenger manifests to outside law enforcement unless it is an immediate life endangerment issue. The statement directly contradicts testimony that Perry gave in March 2019, describing how he receives, via email from a confidential source, the record of passengers coming to Albuquerque on the Greyhound almost every day. Law enforcements job would be much, much easier if they didnt have to comport with any constitutional restrictions and could simply arrest people at will, he said. I was told that if I didn't cooperate and let them search me, they would arrest me and take me off the train. Your password must be at least 8 characters long, include at least 1 alpha character, and include at least 1 number or special character (- ? Weve sent you an email with instructions to reset your password instead. Edgar Manukian demanded the officers names. Earn points toward reward travel, upgrades and more. terms and conditions } Up to 50 lbs. When arriving at a station with trainside checked baggage service, the train crew will let you know where you can claim your luggage. Thank you, sir, I appreciate it, have a good trip, Perry tells the young man after he concludes the search, walking away empty-handed. The Southwest Chiefmakes a daily 25-minute maintenance stop in Albuquerque in both directions. Passwords are case sensitive. I could pack 3 suits & 5 white shirts along with underwear, etc in that garment bag! We each brought a small bag with necessities into the roomette, and stored our larger cases on the luggage rack on the lower level of the sleeper car. and 2 Bags Free He loved selling illegal drugs negotiating, talking to people, the art of the deal, as he described it. Passwords should be at least 10 characters long and include 1 uppercase and 1 lowercase alpha character, 1 number and 1 special character. You may carry dry ice for your medication in checked baggage or carry-on baggage as long as it meets the proper conditions. And in Galesburg, Illinois, population 32,193, officers from the Galesburg Police Department and the Knox County Sheriffs Department have reportedly seized 191 pounds of cannabis from Amtrak passengers over a period of six years, in addition to some harder drugs. How many covert wars, miscarriages of justice, and dystopian technologies would remain hidden if our reporters werent on the beat? DEA Agents Ambush Amtrak Passengers With Controversial Searches and Seizures, quirk of the American criminal justice system. # $ % & ' ( ) * + , - . Law enforcement has been trying to intercept drug couriers on Amtrak trains for many years. (Travelers cant decline a search once a drug dog makes a positive hit, however.). Oh, I guess the page I'm on still says that. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); @media screen and (min-width: 1201px) { I would always try to go by Sleeper Car because your meals are included and the bathroom facilities are much better. And though he did have a prior criminal record, for possessing marijuana and allegedly delivering and manufacturing it, as well as a felony gun possession charge that was later dismissed, the DEA wasnt actually arresting him or charging him with a crime. If your origin and destination stations (and your train!) OK. At Chicagos Union Station, the final destination for the eastbound Southwest Chief and a hub for other long distance lines, a Chicago interdiction task force group, made of DEA agents and officers from the Chicago and Amtrak police departments, are routinely on the hunt for what they call drug proceed couriers, or in other words, people carrying large sums of cash. Its legal for Perry to search people without probable cause, a warrant, or a dog because travelers supposedly realize that they have the right to decline to submit to his searches. We work hard, and were prepared for court. You may bring your own food and beverages onboard for consumption at your seat or private Sleeping Car accommodations. If checked baggage is available, each passenger can check two bags free of charge to their final destination. If you have special dietary requirements, or a condition such as diabetes, we suggest that you carry sufficient food with you to meet your needs in the event of a delay or other contingency. Each passenger is allowed two 25-pound personal items and two 50-pound carry-on items on board. When departing from a station with trainside checked baggage service, you'll need to tag your luggage with a baggage tag for your destination city and walk your luggage to the baggage car. In addition to self-service handcarts in a number of Amtrak stations, you can count on uniformed Red Caps to provide free baggage-handling assistance at many major stations. Nor could you probably do that at NYP, WAS, CHI, LAX, etc! You can tell where I'm going with this. ), which does not count toward the carry-on baggage or personal item limit. display: block; The other is tasked with getting people to talk and open their bags. Cookie Notice Most people step off to stretch their legs or have a cigarette during the layover, the longest smoke break in the entire trip. Stay calm and no matter what happens, rest assured that misconduct can be reported after the incident and your rights can be defended in court. They have targeted passengers in sleeper cars and those in coach. Shortly after departing Reno a man with a badge identified himself as with the DEA. One agent walks to the back of the aisle in the first coach car and waits, quietly observing.
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