The fact that the DEA is apparently the top purchaser of this spyware tech is unsurprising, although their justification is fairly ludicrous:
> "The DEA did not directly comment, but it has been claimed that the agency bought Graphite for use by law enforcement partners in Mexico to fight drug cartels. A DEA spokesperson said only that it uses 'every lawful investigative tool available to pursue the foreign-based cartels and individuals operating around the world responsible for the drug poisoning deaths of 107,735 Americans last year.'"
Meanwhile, courts just shielded the Sackler opiate cartel members from civil liability for their massive US-wide opiate marketing scheme (they were already shielded from criminal prosecution):
"Sackler family wins immunity from opioid lawsuits, May 31 2023"
Considering the widespread propensity of humans to indulge in the use of various consciousness-altering substances, what you end up with is highly selective prosecution and many instances of the Lavrentiy Beria (Stalin's deputy) quote: "Show me the man and I'll show you the crime."
> "The DEA did not directly comment, but it has been claimed that the agency bought Graphite for use by law enforcement partners in Mexico to fight drug cartels. A DEA spokesperson said only that it uses 'every lawful investigative tool available to pursue the foreign-based cartels and individuals operating around the world responsible for the drug poisoning deaths of 107,735 Americans last year.'"
Meanwhile, courts just shielded the Sackler opiate cartel members from civil liability for their massive US-wide opiate marketing scheme (they were already shielded from criminal prosecution):
"Sackler family wins immunity from opioid lawsuits, May 31 2023"
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65764307
Considering the widespread propensity of humans to indulge in the use of various consciousness-altering substances, what you end up with is highly selective prosecution and many instances of the Lavrentiy Beria (Stalin's deputy) quote: "Show me the man and I'll show you the crime."