Around 20 air marshals based in the agency’s Dallas field office – or about 10% of agents there – have been disciplined for smuggling viagra into the U.S. for distribution, “following a secretive two-year internal investigation.”
[Marshals] purchased the medication abroad, where often it costs significantly less than in the United States, and, skirting checkpoints, secreted the prescription drugs back into the country. These air marshals, who do not face the same levels of security screening as the flying public, then sold the pills to co-workers.
The air marshals have only been disciplined by their department, despite criminal actions that include “importation of the prescribed medicine for distribution without a license.” However two of the twenty “may face termination” while one has reportedly resigned. The TSA, which oversees the air marshal program, has sought to keep the light treatment quiet through nondisclosure agreements.
“Everybody involved had to sign an NDA [nondisclosure agreement],” the air marshal said. “There was not a lot of real heavy-handed discipline. People took their lumps — it could have been worse — and went on with it.”
Liam Neeson in 2014 film “Non-Stop”
Meanwhile the union representing air marshals downplays it as just an “error in judgment” and suggests the smuggling of Viagra is a non-issue because “Men can go to doctors and get a prescription.”
The Federal Air Marshal service of course may be the least effective law enforcement agency in the country – by far. There have been more air marshals arrested than people arrested by air marshals, and they cost about $200 million per arrest (not even conviction).
There was the air marshal who sued because he was denied his onboard meal choice, and the one who left his loaded gun in the bathroom (Godfather-style). Another left a handgun in an airplane lavatory, it was discovered by a teenager. Then there was the one who pulled his service weapon on two civilians in a parking space dispute at New York JFK. And that barely scratches the surface.
(HT: Paul H.)
More air marshals arrested than passengers arrested. Maybe it’s time to terminate the air marshal program. Had a co-worker years back that flew on Northwest international. She would “import” high end hand bags (probably fakes) from the far east and made more doing that than she did as a F/A. I don’t think she ever got caught.
it’s bad enought that the TSA new employee screening system is so ineffective and dangerous to the public, but to uncover criminal activity on the part or armed federal employees and to deliver a slap on the wrist is yet another scandalous event at an agency which has many
Seriously? Spending tax payer money over 2 YEARS on this. And no charges.
I was just talking about Viagra and the joke about why you should choose Pfizer’s vaccine. If they can raise the dead, they can surely cure the living.
TSA is nothing more than a jobs program, and a bad one at that.
And they still have security clearances or valid background investigations? I’m confused how the USG cares so much about a college kid smoking pot once but their federal agents are involved in a drug smuggling scheme. This is crazy.
Great write-up!! Crazy to know this!
What would you do if you found a loaded handgun in the lav?
a) ignore it
b) give it to the FA but risk arrest if the FA accuses you of owning the gun
c) take it temporarily for safekeeping during the flight
d) throw it down the toilet bowl so that it cannot be used for air piracy but this could damage the lavatory
e) take it and keep it
f) hide it in the lav cabinet so if it belongs to a crook, they won’t see it at first
g) take it and force the crew to fly you to North Korea
I would be tempted to do c or d. I would not do e. That is stealing. Choice a is stupid and too passive.
Bringing a handgun into a secure gun free environment. Not smart, jailers and prison guards don’t do this, neither should Air Marshals. Dumbest idea and dumbest job ever. Makes flying less safe from terrorists.
@Kathy Let’s see a single viable shred of evidence of dead people voting. Why do you idiots feel the need to spread your bs everywhere?
So going to a foreign country and buying Viagra “legally”, which most countries you can do without prescription, now we call it drug smuggling? Wow people…. it is not like they were bringing narcotics into the country. How many people travel overseas and buy over the counter drugs and bring it back to the States? When I travel overseas I purchase my blood pressure medication there since the price is only about 10% of what I pay for in the States. The person that wrote this article is a typical liberal, cop hating media idiot. I support Law Enforcement and I guarantee you that’s not the whole story. Air Marshals are there to protect the traveling public and like every job, I am sure they had a few bad apples, but we can’t judge every single Air Marshal based on a few incidents in several years. Lets be fair and protect our first responders from unpatriotic idiots like the one that writes articles like this just to create controversy and make money.
I agree with Anthony. These guys did nothing different than millions of travelers who go overseas and get prescription drugs. Americans mostly retirees used to go by the bus load to Canada to get their drugs. I can buy viagra on line and have it shipped to my home. Typical BS from the left wing law enforcement hating type. The same people who want to defund the police yet moan and cry when they have a problem and LE cannot immediately respond. The Air Marshals are a deterrent. Just like the Secret Service. You know they are doing their job when there are NO incidents. Funny how most of you have already forgotten 911. I haven’t! Like any large agency or company there are always going to be those who take advantage and whose ethics and morals are lacking.
You just hit the highest standard for click-bait! That title is hilarious!
@Cmorgan Umm no. There are not millions of travelers who go overseas, buy prescription medications, sneak them back into the US AND then sell them to other people who may not even have a prescription. Get the difference? They aren’t necessarily bringing it back for personal use. They were bringing it in and reselling it. It is rather stunning that criminal charges were not brought and that was not referred to an outside agency for investigation.
You are not understanding my point Bill. You don’t need a prescription to get Viagra. As I said before I can get it online or via a phone call.
If this had perpetuated by anyone else, it would be trafficking of a controlled substance
Those TSA staff who took the Viagra were reported to have grown taller.
This is to respond to Anthony and CMorgan. I agree with you in part, but you both did not recognize that this was a scheme for a few Air Marshall agents ( and yes only 20% of them in the Dallas region) to make money. Bill made this point very well. Actually. I also agree with Anthony’s point of a “few bad apples” and that the lack of extreme incidents does speak to the general effectiveness and honor of the TSA and air Marshalls. It is always easy to pick a few striking examples of incompetency, carelessness and stupidity and cast a black cloud over the majority who are competent and strictly following the guidelines, regulations and legal requirements of the job. That’s why good law enforcement administrators admonish and apply strict standards of conduct to their employees. So, yes the media does like to sensationalize the bad apple stories, and readers should be able to discern the extent of the problem and not themselves make over-the-top judgements bout the entire workforce ( in this case the TSA). Still i am pleased to know about the investigation and pleased to know that the president does let us know. To me it’s not liberal or conservative. Recently its the conservative side that’s been bashing the press but the press is not homogeneous. and the liberal side certainly finds fault with the media too. As a liberal, I serve on a community fire and police board and I fearlessly defend the police when I think their judgement is correct (and that is most of the time) but along with other board members make suggestions for improvement in policy and enforcement implementation matters when problems arise. We try very hard not to fuel the flames of the conservative-liberal war. Language usage matters and so does being even handed. Almost all of my liberal friends strongly defend and appreciate the overall job of Air Marshalls and TSA employees. So Cmorgan and Anthony I think you are incorrect in your judgements against liberals dislike for fairly administered law enforcement but as ai said earlier you do make some good points. When I first read the story it did not put my mind in a spin against the TSA, rather than good for the agency in wanting to clean up the bad apples. As to the appropriate punishment, I think that somer rather strongly internal discipline would do enough for the majority-however the ring leaders should probably be dismissed and tried by fair judicial system.
Some tying errors. I meant ‘pleased to know that the press lets us know, not the president.
“More air marshals arrested than passengers arrested.”
Gary is well aware that the Air Marshal’s try not to arrest people as that requires court appearances. They are usually restrained and then handed over to local law enforcement who arrest them and files charges. The local law enforcement is able to handle the various court appearances since they are local.
I think the arrest percentage is the only metric that Gary can hang onto to determine in his mind that they are failures.