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U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration - Asset Forfeiture
To ensure that criminals do not benefit financially from their illegal acts, federal law provides that profits from drug-related crimes, as well as property used to facilitate certain crimes, are subject to forfeiture to the government. Since drug trafficking is a crime of greed, asset forfeiture is an effective weapon because it removes the profit from such illegal activities. Asset forfeiture can also financially disable drug-trafficking organizations. International drug traffickers use their wealth to purchase the very best state-of-the-art weaponry and communications equipment. Seizure of the drug profits prevents them from possessing such advanced equipment and makes it more difficult for them to thwart law enforcement efforts.
Asset forfeiture has been a part of American jurisprudence since the founding of the nation. To protect citizens from the abuse of this power, federal civil forfeiture laws contain numerous protections. No property may be seized unless the government meets the standard of "probable cause" - the same standard of proof required to arrest a person or secure a warrant to search a person's home. Property is seized by the DEA only when it is determined to be a tool for, or the proceeds of, illegal activities such as drug trafficking, organized crime, or money laundering.
Source: U.S. D.E.A