Hire a Federal Lawyer to Fight Your Drug Smuggling Charges

When facing drug smuggling charges, you can be looking at serious prison time and hefty fines. Drug smuggling is illegally transferring controlled substances across state or federal borders. 

At the Zoukis Consulting Group, we have some of the best federal lawyers that can fight your drug smuggling charges. Hiring a skilled attorney will find ways to negotiate a lesser sentence.

If you’re facing drug smuggling charges and need an experienced lawyer, give us a call. We also have a team of consultants who can prepare you for life in federal prison if you’re convicted. Call us today so we can start working for you. 

What Is Drug Smuggling?

Drug smuggling may also be known as drug importation. Drug smuggling is the act of transporting illegal drugs or controlled substances from one country to another. Doing so violates federal law. 

You can face charges for drug smuggling for any illegal drug or controlled substance. Examples of illegal substances include cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine. When you’ve smuggled a more dangerous drug, and it’s in larger quantities, the penalties tend to be more strict. 

You will face charges of drug smuggling for illegal drugs and any substances that the government regulates its use and production under drug smuggling laws. One example includes prescription medications that are often used recreationally rather than for their intended purposes. 

The Controlled Substances Act classifies drugs and controlled substances into schedules based on their potential for abuse, medicinal uses in the United States, and how likely people will depend on the drug if abused.

Schedule I

Substances classified as Schedule I have no accepted medical use and have high abuse potential. Examples of Schedule I substances are heroin, LSD, ecstasy, and marijuana.

Schedule II 

Schedule II drugs are highly addictive. Taking them often leads to serious physical and psychological dependence. Cocaine, morphine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and oxycodone are all Schedule II substances. 

Schedule III

Substances that have a moderate to low abuse potential are Schedule III. These substances are less likely to cause dependence than Schedule I and II but are more addictive than Schedule IV. Some examples of Schedule III substances are anabolic steroids, testosterone, and Tylenol with codeine. 

Schedule IV

Substances with a low potential for abuse are Schedule IV. A few Schedule IV drugs are Ambien, Xanax, and Valium. 

Schedule V

Schedule V substances have the lowest risk of abuse based on this classification system. These substances contain limited quantities of narcotics, and people use them for antidiarrheal and analgesic purposes. Cough medicine, Lomotil, and Lyrica are all examples of Schedule V substances. 

Is Drug Smuggling a Federal Crime?

Drug smuggling is a federal crime. Any crimes involving illegal drugs and substances are prohibited at the state level as well. It is unlawful to possess, sell, distribute or traffick drugs, and you can face charges at either level. 

Many factors can cause drug smuggling charges to move to a federal offense. The main factors that will move your case to a federal one are if a federal agency investigates the case, if the smuggling includes any opioid drugs, or if the alleged drugs are crossing state or country lines.

What Are the Punishments for Drug Smuggling?

If the courts find you guilty of drug smuggling, you can face anywhere from ten years to life in prison. In addition to prison time, you can face up to five million dollars in fines. 

When it comes to sentencing, several things can increase your sentence. If you have a previous felony or other drug charge, your punishment will jump to 15 years to life in prison and up to twenty million dollars in fines. 

Federal courts have minimum and maximum sentences for drug smuggling. The minimum sentence under federal guidelines is five years if you have no prior convictions and ten years for those with a previous conviction. 

A Federal Lawyer Can Defend You 

When you’re facing drug smuggling charges, you need an experienced lawyer to defend you. At the Zoukis Consulting Group, we have experts who can help fight your charges and get you a more lenient sentence.  

Prison time is not unusual with drug smuggling charges and can be a significant adjustment for anyone. We also have consultants who can help prepare you for short or even lifelong prison sentences if you’re convicted. 

An excellent lawyer can mean the difference between a life sentence or potentially being released to live the rest of your life. Contact the Zoukis Consulting Group today so we can start building your case.