Every foreigner who lives in or travels to a certain country is subject to its laws, and we Americans are no different when it comes to overseas travel. They cannot, for instance, represent you in legal proceedings or pay your legal fees or other expenses. They can, however, perform a variety of vital services, which include providing a list of attorneys, assisting in contacting your family in the U.S. if you wish it, helping you obtain money from family in the U.S., and monitoring your health and welfare and the conditions under which you are being held.
If you are arrested, immediately ask to speak to a consular officer at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Under international agreements, the U.S. Government has a right to provide consular assistance to you upon your request. If your request to speak to your consul is turned down, keep asking-politely, but persistently.
Insider information on drug offenses committed overseas
More and more Americans join the hundreds arrested yearly in other countries for drug offenses. Persons caught with illegal drugs in a foreign country are subject to the drug laws of that country, not those of the U.S.; as always, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Many countries have a "guilty until proven innocent" set of laws which simply means that if arrested for such a crime, the alleged wrong-doer would have to prove he or she is innocent of the charges thereof.
One of the most notorious bamboozles in these foreign countries is to offer somebody, usually an American to travel overseas all-expenses-paid in exchange for carrying "loaded" luggage. When, to their surprise, they are caught, the fact that they did not know that there were drugs in that package will not reduce the charges against them.
There are lots of differences between American drug arrests and overseas drug arrests. For instance,
few countries provide a jury trial
many countries do not permit pre-trial release on bail
Pre-trial detention is often done in solitary, and can last more than a few months
Overseas prisons are often lacking the most fundamental in equipment, beds, sinks and toilets alike.
Bad as American prison food is, foreign prison food is even less healthful, and family and friends may often need to pop by for supplements
officials may not speak English
Also consider that most inmates overseas are subject to extremely high levels of physical and emotional stress
People convicted may not just be up for a few months in jail or a fine - hard labor and even the death penalty are possible overseas as well
penalties for drug possession and for drug trafficking are often the same abroad, so possession of one ounce of marijuana could result in years in a foreign jail
As with any arrest of a U.S. citizen abroad, consular officers perform a variety of services. But if that is the case, you made your bed, so go lie in it. Don't be stupid. Drugs are for losers.
If you are arrested, immediately ask to speak to a consular officer at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Under international agreements, the U.S. Government has a right to provide consular assistance to you upon your request. If your request to speak to your consul is turned down, keep asking-politely, but persistently.
Insider information on drug offenses committed overseas
More and more Americans join the hundreds arrested yearly in other countries for drug offenses. Persons caught with illegal drugs in a foreign country are subject to the drug laws of that country, not those of the U.S.; as always, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Many countries have a "guilty until proven innocent" set of laws which simply means that if arrested for such a crime, the alleged wrong-doer would have to prove he or she is innocent of the charges thereof.
One of the most notorious bamboozles in these foreign countries is to offer somebody, usually an American to travel overseas all-expenses-paid in exchange for carrying "loaded" luggage. When, to their surprise, they are caught, the fact that they did not know that there were drugs in that package will not reduce the charges against them.
There are lots of differences between American drug arrests and overseas drug arrests. For instance,
few countries provide a jury trial
many countries do not permit pre-trial release on bail
Pre-trial detention is often done in solitary, and can last more than a few months
Overseas prisons are often lacking the most fundamental in equipment, beds, sinks and toilets alike.
Bad as American prison food is, foreign prison food is even less healthful, and family and friends may often need to pop by for supplements
officials may not speak English
Also consider that most inmates overseas are subject to extremely high levels of physical and emotional stress
People convicted may not just be up for a few months in jail or a fine - hard labor and even the death penalty are possible overseas as well
penalties for drug possession and for drug trafficking are often the same abroad, so possession of one ounce of marijuana could result in years in a foreign jail
As with any arrest of a U.S. citizen abroad, consular officers perform a variety of services. But if that is the case, you made your bed, so go lie in it. Don't be stupid. Drugs are for losers.
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