United States v. Espinoza-Valdez

The Ninth Circuit reversed defendant's conviction for conspiracy to import and conspiracy to distribute marijuana. The panel held that, despite the evidence of defendant's presence with two unknown men in a known drug-smuggling corridor close to the Mexican border near what appeared to be a camp for drug trafficking scouts, as well as the seizure of items that were suspicious in this context, there was insufficient evidence for a jury to find beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant entered into a conspiratorial agreement to import or distribute marijuana. In this case, there was no evidence as to what (if anything) was specifically agreed to, who agreed to it, or what any agreement was intended to accomplish. Furthermore, the panel has long held that drug courier profile evidence such as that admitted here was admissible only for limited purposes. View "United States v. Espinoza-Valdez" on Justia Law