Homeland Security seizing medications from elderly

[Guest guest]

NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security Agency

may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice. They may do this

without any judicial or legislative oversight. You have no recourse nor

protection save to call for the impeachment of the current President.

[Note: this story is breaking on the internet and has not yet been picked up

by the main stream media]

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/2/1/20940/49383

Homeland Security seizing medications from elderly, former Customs official

reports

By Bill Conroy,

Posted on Wed Feb 1st, 2006 at 08:09:40 PM EST

Are grandma and grandpa now the newest targets in an expanding war on drugs?

An operation allegedly underway in Miami -- supposedly being spearheaded by

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) -- seems to indicate that elderly

folks are indeed in the dragnet zone.

As part of that operation, CBP, which is part of the Department of Homeland

Security, is seizing Canadian shipments of legally prescribed drugs that are

being flown into the international mail facility at Miami International Airport,

according to Mark Conrad, a retired U.S. Customs supervisory special agent.

Conrad, now an attorney, serves as the associate general counsel for the

National Association of Federal Agents. He says the information about the

seizure

program was brought to his attention by a whistleblower, who does not want to

go public out of fear of retaliation.

Officials from CBP's public affairs office in South Florida did not return a

phone call from Narco News seeking comment on the operation.

The medications being seized, Conrad adds, are bound for delivery to elderly

people who have ordered them from Canadian providers.

Due to the extremely high cost of many prescription drugs in the United

States, many senior citizens cannot afford to pay for their medications, absent

ordering the drugs, often over the Internet, from lower-cost Canadian vendors.

Although ordering prescription medicines from Canada is technically illegal,

U.S. officials have, for the most part, looked the other way in terms of broad

enforcement. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has previously

ordered targeted seizures of prescription drugs shipped from overseas.

Hubbard, the FDA's associate commissioner of policy and planning,

stated the following in a March 10, 2005, Bloomberg News wire story:

The FDA can target particular shipments, Hubbard said. The agency seized

about 450 packages in July from [a] Canadian Internet pharmacy, CanadaRx.net,

that passed through the Bahamas, Hubbard said.

Critics of such seizures say the policy threatens the lives of senior

citizens and demonstrates that the U.S. government is carrying water for the

pharmaceutical industry.

Drug makers see it differently, of course. Jack , a spokesman for the New

York-based pharmaceutical conglomerate Pfizer, told Bloomberg News that " the

FDA is 'just enforcing US law.' "

Conrad says his information on the Miami CBP seizure program is coming from a

source with direct knowledge of the operation. He adds that those involved in

the seizures have been ordered to assist with the program and also are under

orders not to discuss the operation with anyone. He adds that the program has

been ongoing for at least three weeks.

" Customs in Miami is seizing medications shipped in from Canada, " Conrad

says. " Most of this medication is U.S.-made, then shipped to Canada, and is now

simply coming back into the country. "

Conrad says he is not sure if the seizure operation extends beyond Miami at

this time. However, he says the operation was undertaken with no notice to the

public. That means senior citizens depending on this medication are unaware

that the drugs have been seized.

" The [elderly] people who ordered the medication will be getting letters

[from the government] informing them that the shipments have been seized, "

Conrad

says. " They have bins and bins of medicine, some of it live-saving

medication. "

Conrad says drugs on the hit list include blood-pressure, asthma,

antidepressant, heart and cancer medication.

" My understanding is that some cancer medication was seized that requires

refrigeration, " he adds.

[Guest guest]

I really worry about the direction the USA is taking these days.

cheers

Duncan from Canada.

>

> NOTICE: Due to Presidential Executive Orders, the National Security

Agency may have read this email without warning, warrant, or notice.

They may do this without any judicial or legislative oversight. You

have no recourse nor protection save to call for the impeachment of

the current President.

>

> [Note: this story is breaking on the internet and has not yet been

picked up by the main stream media]

> http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/2/1/20940/49383

>

> Homeland Security seizing medications from elderly, former Customs

official reports

> By Bill Conroy,

> Posted on Wed Feb 1st, 2006 at 08:09:40 PM EST

> Are grandma and grandpa now the newest targets in an expanding war

on drugs?

> An operation allegedly underway in Miami -- supposedly being

spearheaded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) -- seems to

indicate that elderly folks are indeed in the dragnet zone.

>

> As part of that operation, CBP, which is part of the Department of

Homeland Security, is seizing Canadian shipments of legally prescribed

drugs that are being flown into the international mail facility at

Miami International Airport, according to Mark Conrad, a retired U.S.

Customs supervisory special agent.

>

>

> Conrad, now an attorney, serves as the associate general counsel for

the National Association of Federal Agents. He says the information

about the seizure program was brought to his attention by a

whistleblower, who does not want to go public out of fear of retaliation.

> Officials from CBP's public affairs office in South Florida did not

return a phone call from Narco News seeking comment on the operation.

>

> The medications being seized, Conrad adds, are bound for delivery to

elderly people who have ordered them from Canadian providers.

>

> Due to the extremely high cost of many prescription drugs in the

United States, many senior citizens cannot afford to pay for their

medications, absent ordering the drugs, often over the Internet, from

lower-cost Canadian vendors.

>

> Although ordering prescription medicines from Canada is technically

illegal, U.S. officials have, for the most part, looked the other way

in terms of broad enforcement. However, the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration has previously ordered targeted seizures of

prescription drugs shipped from overseas.

>

> Hubbard, the FDA's associate commissioner of policy and

planning, stated the following in a March 10, 2005, Bloomberg News

wire story:

>

>

> The FDA can target particular shipments, Hubbard said. The agency

seized about 450 packages in July from [a] Canadian Internet pharmacy,

CanadaRx.net, that passed through the Bahamas, Hubbard said.

> Critics of such seizures say the policy threatens the lives of

senior citizens and demonstrates that the U.S. government is carrying

water for the pharmaceutical industry.

>

> Drug makers see it differently, of course. Jack , a spokesman for

the New York-based pharmaceutical conglomerate Pfizer, told Bloomberg

News that " the FDA is 'just enforcing US law.' "

>

> Conrad says his information on the Miami CBP seizure program is

coming from a source with direct knowledge of the operation. He adds

that those involved in the seizures have been ordered to assist with

the program and also are under orders not to discuss the operation

with anyone. He adds that the program has been ongoing for at least

three weeks.

>

> " Customs in Miami is seizing medications shipped in from Canada, "

Conrad says. " Most of this medication is U.S.-made, then shipped to

Canada, and is now simply coming back into the country. "

>

> Conrad says he is not sure if the seizure operation extends beyond

Miami at this time. However, he says the operation was undertaken with

no notice to the public. That means senior citizens depending on this

medication are unaware that the drugs have been seized.

>

> " The [elderly] people who ordered the medication will be getting

letters [from the government] informing them that the shipments have

been seized, " Conrad says. " They have bins and bins of medicine, some

of it live-saving medication. "

>

> Conrad says drugs on the hit list include blood-pressure, asthma,

antidepressant, heart and cancer medication.

>

> " My understanding is that some cancer medication was seized that

requires refrigeration, " he adds.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I don't mind reading emails on this list BUT when this type of ALARMING

information is posted I want to know from what source, and their political

leanings is from. Is it a watchdog group with no leanings of extreme. Is it

Democratic or Republican in its makeup??

I am a very very senior and need medications for lyme but I question why

this is on our list or if more explaination can be contributed from the sender.

Thanks Bev

[Guest guest]

Thank you Dawn.

[Guest guest]

Bev, the original post came w/an address so further reading can be done and

you can then make up your own mind whether it is true or not. I dont think

it really matters if its partisan or bipartisan ( and what news at all is

bipartisan anmore anyhow?) what matters is if its truthfull and legitimate.

oh, here is that link in case you dont have the original email

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/story/2006/2/1/20940/49383

> I don't mind reading emails on this list BUT when this type of ALARMING

> information is posted I want to know from what source, and their

political

> leanings is from. Is it a watchdog group with no leanings of extreme.

Is it

> Democratic or Republican in its makeup??

>

> I am a very very senior and need medications for lyme but I question why

> this is on our list or if more explaination can be contributed from the

sender.

>

> Thanks Bev

>

[Guest guest]

Did the person who bothered to post this ever think to VERIFY whether it is

fact or fiction??

Besides, a call for impeaching the president is really not an issue for a

LYME disease support group.

Why not take your political agenda to a political forum?

This is not the place!

Dawn

[Guest guest]

> Did the person who bothered to post this ever think to VERIFY whether it

is

> fact or fiction??

Having been a member for many years, I cant even begin to count the posts

that are of treatments that 'out there' or so off the mainstream you have to

wonder.

That post was an info post, it had the link to the main website so the

reader could then make their own decisions on its validity.

As for the political statement, if you will notice it is a signature and

is on all of her emails. If you do not like it then feel free to either

set your email to not accept emails from that person, or hit the delete

button.

There are emails that I find rather, well, not quit offensive but

rediculous and since someone else might find them usefull I just ignore them

and hit delete.

[Guest guest]

Hi Bev,

I agree that we should have more informtion, but I do think this is

an appropriate post. I have gone outside the country and brought in

meds. I wonder if they are being confisgated too? If I need IV's

and can't get my insurance to pay for it in the USA, I might go to a

foreign country where friends live and have it done. It's amazing

how much cheaper meds are in other countries, with the same quality

of meds. The USA has the highest cost in the world for

pharmaceuticals. I believe whatever the USA market will bear is

true in this instance.

cooky

>

> I don't mind reading emails on this list BUT when this type of

ALARMING

> information is posted I want to know from what source, and their

political

> leanings is from. Is it a watchdog group with no leanings of

extreme. Is it

> Democratic or Republican in its makeup??

>

> I am a very very senior and need medications for lyme but I

question why

> this is on our list or if more explaination can be contributed

from the sender.

>

> Thanks Bev

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dawn and others,

This issue has already been rectified. Please understand that I do a lot of

my work behind the scenes.

=)

Robynn

[ ] Re: Homeland Security seizing medications from elderly

Did the person who bothered to post this ever think to VERIFY whether it is

fact or fiction??

Besides, a call for impeaching the president is really not an issue for a

LYME disease support group.

Why not take your political agenda to a political forum?

This is not the place!

Dawn