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Searches and Seizures: Borders Border searches are usually held reasonable. The Supreme Court views the protection of nation's borders as one of the exceptions to the general requirements of the Fourth Amendment. Border searches are generally viewed reasonable per se. And, naturally, border searches result in uncovering a vast amount of drug contraband. This section contains courts' language regarding the treatment of searches and seizures conducted at the international border.
Court Opinions on the Topic:
At worst, this case will deter law enforcement officers searching for drugs near borders from using even the most non-intrusive touch to help investigate publicly exposed bags.
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The Government's interest in preventing the entry of unwanted persons and effects is at its zenith at the international border. Time and again, we have stated that "searches made at the border, pursuant to the longstanding right of the sovereign to protect itself by stopping and examining persons and property crossing into this country, are reasonable simply by virtue of the fact that they occur at the border."
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...[I]nterest in protecting the borders is illustrated in this case by the evidence that smugglers frequently attempt to penetrate our borders with contraband secreted in their automobiles' fuel tank. Over the past 5 1/2 fiscal years [written in 1994], there have been 18,788 vehicle drug seizures at the southern California ports of entry. Of those 18,788, gas tank drug seizures have accounted for 4,619 of the vehicle drug seizures, or approximately 25%. In addition, instances of persons smuggled in and around gas tank compartments are discovered at the ports of entry of San Ysidro and Otay Mesa at a rate averaging 1 approximately every 10 days.
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