Seizures Laws governing

This chapter will focus on (1) basic principles of search and seizure law (2) the balance between law enforcement s use of science and technological advances to the Fourth Amendment (3) when exploitation of technology should be governed by the Fourth Amendment constraints of unreasonable searches as it pertains to explosives and dangerous chemicals and (4) effect of the USA Patriot Act and related legislation on the Fourth Amendment. The question of what constitutionally determines a reasonable search is simple, its answer and application are not. 

A complex mixture of constitutional Hmits, detailed statutory regulations, and social values provide a legal regime that governs searches, surveillance, and seizures. These legal and statutory principles are briefly presented using federal law. 

Unfortunately, the US government has so far not submitted the individual seizures information. Given the decentralised nature of US law enforcement, there may be administrative reasons for this omission. The US reports seizing 176 mt of cocaine in 2005, but the details of these seizures are not available. It is known that only 31 mt of this total were seized at the US arrival zones,47 so the balance must have been apprehended internally or on international waters. 

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