Criminals hoping to impersonate law enforcement officers are buying "raid jackets" emblazoned with the initials of federal law enforcement agencies, and investigators say the practice is hard to prevent.
Unlike Smokey Bear or Woodsy Owl, the initials of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are not federally protected trademarks.Bad guys can easily buy the jackets to help them pull off home invasion robberies, bogus traffic stops and rip-offs of fellow drug dealers.
"It's a big concern for us. We have had some cases where different raid jackets have been found at (crime) scenes," said Bruce Snyder, the ATF spokesman in Miami.
Earlier this year, DEA agents found a raid-jacket inventory at the home of Bernardo Iglesias, a Dade County man accused of shipping crack cocaine to north Florida.
More recently, a mail-order catalog circulated by a West Dade company raised eyebrows.
The firm, Metro Distributors USA, advertises raid jackets with "DEA" on the front and back. Others bear the words "Sheriff" and "Police" and sell for $22.95 apiece.