

Tracking Cirrus: Is This the Silk Road 2.0 Mole? - r721
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/tracking-cirrus-is-this-the-silk-road-20-mole

======
pstuart
Why was Homeland Security involved in this? One of their charters[1] is to
"Safeguard and Secure Cyberspace", which they state is:

    
    
      * analyze and reduces cyber threats and vulnerabilities;
      * distribute threat warnings; and
      * coordinate the response to cyber incidents to ensure that our computers, networks, and cyber systems remain safe.
    

None of that looks like "stop people from buying drugs".

[1] [http://www.dhs.gov/safeguard-and-secure-
cyberspace](http://www.dhs.gov/safeguard-and-secure-cyberspace)

~~~
dmix
A friend of mine did contract SEO work for a company selling synthetic drug
similar to marijuana (before the DEA made it illegal). But they kept selling
it after it was made illegal and long after his online-marketing contract
ended. But he was contacted by the DHS, specially ICE with questions about his
prior involvement. Nothing came of it but this story shows that they do
investigate drug matters.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Immigration_and_Customs_E...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Immigration_and_Customs_Enforcement)

> ICE is the second largest criminal investigative agency in the U.S.
> government, following the FBI.

> HSI Special Agents investigate a range of issues that threaten the national
> security of the United States such as human rights violations, human
> smuggling, art theft, human trafficking, drug smuggling, arms trafficking,
> transnational gang investigations, financial crimes including money
> laundering and bulk cash smuggling, trade-based money laundering (including
> trade finance and Kimberley Process investigations), computer crimes,
> including the production and transportation of child pornography via the
> Internet, import/export enforcement issues, trafficking of counterfeit
> pharmaceuticals and other merchandise, and international Cultural Property
> and Antiquities crimes.

ICE basically investigates any sophisticated crimes and their mandate
definitely covers drugs, especially drugs that are imported from overseas.

This is part of the reason why 90% of the time the patriot act has been
invoked it has been for drug investigations and not terrorism related crimes.
[https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110908/02534215846/wasnt...](https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110908/02534215846/wasnt-
patriot-act-supposed-to-be-about-stopping-terrorism.shtml)

