So she did set it aside and did not bother opening it until later in the evening. Law enforcement simply waited for the signal from the electronic device and knew at all times that the package was still in the house, unopened.
More than likely she never saw the powder, which is visible under ultraviolet light.
She probably did see the tracking device, but it's too late, then, as they are waiting for her to open it to bust in very quickly. Do you think if she waited until the next day they would have just given up? LOL! No. Law enforcement does not work that way.
These methods have been developed to deal with more serious drugs, cocaine, heroine, fentanyl, and so on . . . this is South Florida. Think about all the drug action law enforcement down there has had for longer than most of those cops have been on the job or maybe even since before they were born. These methods are standard and routine, and it was a very easy job for them to simply use the same method on a steroid package.
So everybody tell me all the great things you would have done to avoid an arrest in this situation . . .
The reality is there is nothing you can do.
Using USPS would have reduced the chances of the package being intercepted, but it would not have eliminated that chance. As I have posted on this site many times, it can and does happen, and the odds are not as low as winning the lottery or being struck by lightning. The "they are not interested in your personal amount order" line is BS folks say, but it is not true. They are interested, especially if you live in a state where possession is a felony.
And the things they look for are pretty simple - and publicly published in USPS manuals you can read on the internet. They are also recited frequently in public caselaw, as establishing probable cause. Simple things like whether the return address is real or whether the package was sent from that return address (both no for your steroid package). Whether all the seams are carefully taped (as frequently drug shipments are). There are more, and your packages probably meet all or most of the criteria.
A drug dog will "hit" on your steroid package if it is pulled aside for a more thorough inspection. It will. The reasons why the dog will hit on it are not important. The hit establishes probable cause. Period. The federal courts use a very low standard of certification for a drug dog, not the actual reliability of that particular dog, so the fact that the dog is wrong more often than not won't matter (if your lawyer can even get the dog's record at all).
Then they will get local law enforcement involved and deliver.
Look - the only reason this has not happened to ALL of you is that the USPS simply does not have the resources to catch all of the contraband packages coming through the mail. They catch thousands of them. The majority get through. That is true for heroin. It is true for steroids. But they catch some of them. Whether it is yours is just a matter of luck.
Using domestic sources removes customs from the picture, which reduces the chances lower, but, again, does not eliminate it.
USPS has things they look for. Their distribution terminals have law enforcement there with dogs whose sole job it is to look for drugs. FedEx has law enforcement present, too. The major difference is that while USPS can cooperate, a warrant is needed (since drug shippers are all smart enough to at least use the class of mail that has a warrant requirement for a search). Since FedEx is private, there is no warrant requirement. FedEx can pretty much open anything it wants to open. USPS has to take a couple of extra steps.
If you read any of the case law on postal packages and the Fourth Amendment, I think you will be shocked how easy it is if they suspect the package contains contraband.
