Local News in Brief : Drug Customers’ Vehicles Seized
Federal agents and police from Compton, Inglewood, Bell, Whittier and Downey seized 26 vehicles and arrested 36 people in a crackdown on drug buyers Friday and Saturday nights, officials said Monday.
Operating about eight hours each night at an undisclosed location, investigators observed people buying drugs from known narcotics peddlers and arrested them after they drove off, said Ken Wibecan, a spokesman for Compton.
The task force seized a 25 cars and pickup trucks and one motorcycle under federal regulations that allow for the forfeit of vehicles used to transfer narcotics, Wibecan said.
Mary McMenimen, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office, said drug buyers who seek to get their vehicles back must file a petition with the FBI, which will then conduct administrative proceedings to determine the validity of the seizure.
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