Our very own Steve Bierfeldt was detained for half an hour at the St. Louis Airport and police station. His crime? Why did he arouse the TSA's suspicion? The officials said it was because he was carrying cash on his person. Perhaps. He was also carrying Campaign for Liberty and Ron Paul materials, and we can wonder if the TSA had gotten the infamous MIAC report and not yet heard it has since been retracted by the Missouri government.
Watch the segment on Napolitano's Freedom Watch where they discuss the detention. Steve caught much of the government officials' hysteria and rudeness on his iPhone recorder and so we get to hear a clip of what happened:
My guess is it indeed had to do with the money, not the literature. Ever since the drug war really picked up steam a couple decades back, the government has tried to criminalize the carrying of "suspicious" amounts of cash. For years, average Americans, often minorities, have been shaken down for having too much money and some of the seized dough has even ended up in the hands of those who confiscated it. It's already illegal to carry beyond a certain amount out of the country. And the war on terror and economic recession have further made it taboo to carry money around. But Steve broke no laws here and perhaps this was just an example of selective harrassment.
Either way, whether it was the literature, the cash, or they just didn't like the look of Steve, none of it bodes well for a country that sees itself as a free society. In a free America, carrying literature of any type or cash of any amount would be just another peaceful activity fully tolerated by law. This kind of screening in our airports goes beyond demanding, "Your Papers, Please." Steve already showed his papers when he went through security.
Sue them for distributing such material and for not putting on notice the agencies that the material was available to, that caused Steve to get harassed.
Steve, I am SO proud of you for sticking to your guns through that ordeal. (Probably not the right choice of words ;-) I would not have been able to keep my cool; in fact, I almost started screaming when the guy said, "If you don't have anything to hide, then why not answer the question?" Any way we can hear the rest of the recording?
Anyone else find it suspicious that a plain-clothes Federal agent, according to Napolitano, got this situation settled for Steve? I suppose it's possible that he/she was just curious why the officers were arresting him, asked, then gently advised them to drop it. But if this agent was trailing Steve, that would be chill me to the bone.
Posted 04/01/09 8:15 PM Caleb Kinley Hot Springs, AR
Domestic terrorism at its finest. Since when is it a crime to carry cash? It's none of their business how much cash he had on hand or even what it was for. Thank God for peaceful people like C4L and Steve Beirfeldt. Great job Steve!
I talked to a spokesman for the Missouri Libertarian Party today and the investigation into the MIAC report will not be forthcoming as promised, we need to renew phone calls and emails to state legislators.
Folks, I know I don't need to remind you that they are BUREAUCRATS! As Dr. Roche pointed out years ago in his book "The Stranglehold of the Federal Bureaucracy" they are only responsive to their charter. Common sense goes right out the window.
I fly or drive myself and stay as far away from that gestapo bunch as I can. We all know who the real terrorists are.
I wonder who the agent in plain clothes was. I would further be interested to fly everyday next week with five thousand in cash and see what the results would be. I am guessing not much would happen. This amount of money is not extreme. A lot of pocket change, yes, but I could come up with many reasons for flying with that kind of money.
I'd like to know how much $cash$ he had on him that caused him to be called in for questioning. That would be important to know for any of us traveling by airplane; how much we should be concerned about carrying on our person. And if he were carrying travelers checks, he may not have been detained?
I want Steve Bierfeldt on my desert island, in my foxhole, whatever! Way to go!
"If you don't have anything to hide, then why not answer the question?" This is 1) presumed guilty until proven innocent, and 2) some ridiculous kind of "guess-what-I'm-thinking" game with law enforcement regarding what, on that particular day and with how they feel at that particular time, you should want to "hide". What you should "hide" continuously evolves. No one can possibly keep up with it.
Here's what THEY might be "hiding": they took an oath to support the Constitution, and they're not honoring it. (The Fourth and Fifth Amendments come to mind.)
An island would sound nice right about this time of year.
Claygirl, I had approximately $4,700 in cash, in addition to maybe a thousand in checks made out to Campaign for Liberty. As I understand the law, the government has legislated against carrying $10,000 or more in cash.
Folks, this all comes down to monitoring of the people. And, it has been going on a long time. In the mid seventies I was doing a turn around for a company in the Dallas area. Somehow the owner's wife thought I received $50-thousand. (I didn't.) She was a little flaky, so she waltzes down to the bank, puts a paper bag up on the counter and instructs the teller to put $50-thousand in it. He does, and she just waltzes out. The next voice I hear is that of an investigator from the IRS. By the time the audit was over it cost the owner $38-thousand to settle all of the claims. They don't want you to have a nickle that they don't know how you got it and what you are doing with it. Liberty has been under assault a long time.
Just visit their website and here’s what they think they stand for.
Mission:
The TSA protects the Nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce.
Vision:
The TSA will continuously set the standard for excellence in transportation security through its people, processes, and technology.
Core Values:
To enhance mission performance and achieve our shared goals, we are committed to promoting a culture founded on these values:
* Integrity:
We are a people of integrity who respect and care for others?
We are a people who conduct ourselves in an honest, trustworthy and ethical manner at all times?
We are a people who gain strength from the diversity in our cultures?
* Innovation:
We are a people who embrace and stand ready for change?
We are a people who are courageous and willing to take on new challenges?
We are a people with an enterprising spirit, striving for innovations who accept the risk-taking that comes with it?
* Team Spirit:
We are a people who are open, respectful and dedicated to making others better?
We are a people who have a passion for challenge, success and being on a winning team?
We are a people who will build teams around our strengths?
Notice of the "We are a people"?
Boy, they got their heads so far up their big brother DHS’**s, the funny thing is, they think they are untouchable, did they forget that work for us?
TSA, the Total Squander Administration. Sad to say though that its all from congress’s doing to create these useless departments via Bush/Ashcroft
Any private corporation can do a much better job and that's the truth.
Let them know your input here:
https://contact.tsa.dhs.gov/DynaForm.aspx?FormID=10
I meet Steve in St. Louis and I don't think you could meet a nicer person. No way they thought he was a security risk! Profiling or Robo Cop mentality is my guess. So much for proving guilt or having resonable cause!
I agree. After meeting Steve in D.C., I'd have to say he is about the LEAST suspicious looking person ever. I am so proud of him for exercising his rights and standing up for liberty!! Kudos Steve!!
Posted 04/02/09 08:34 AM justinb Oklahoma City, OK
Props to you for recording this Steve. I would even ponder taking it one step further, and taking that audio to the TSA officials up there in Missouri, along with their mission that "Liberty for Life" posted, and let them know you don't believe those employees are meeting their mission statement. Which is extremely evident by the way they talked to you.
It seem obvious to me that he was being tailed by someone who obviously had the authority to have him released. I am not sure what is more scary. His detention or being tailed because of he is.
Posted 04/02/09 10:45 AM alan.lockett San Marcos, TX
Steve, I think you should file a lawsuit in federal court against these guys if you can find any grounds whatsoever. There are two reasons for this. First, it will give the parties involved the chance to think a little more deeply about what they did. More importantly, it would give you subpoena power to require any documentation necessary to proving your case. It would also allow to inquire further into how exactly these guys are being trained. And if, as it seems, they are being trained to ignore the 4th and 5th amendment of the Constitution, then that would all come to the light of day. If they were obtuse enough, you could possibly get the Supreme Court to tell these guys they don't have the authority to do what they tried to do.
Given that nothing came of it, I don't think you would be able to make much headway in court, but even if you could just subpoena some state documents or clarify their training methodologies, it might be worth it. Of course, you might be able to get all the info you want through a FOIA request, and that would be cheaper.
Steve, Re: 10G in cash, your answer squares with Yahoo answers for the USA(as of 11 mo. ago). I'm wondering how they found the cash you had. Did you need to declare it? did they search you? Was it picked up on their x ray machines? It also would seem that unnecessary detainment is harassment. Does C4L has any lawyers you could consult? You may be able to help all us fellow travelers.
* 11 months ago http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080514232023AA2IMFg
10. How much cash may I bring with me for my trip?
There is no limit on the total amount of money or monetary instruments that may be brought into or taken out of the United States. However, if you transport or cause to be transported, more than $10,000 in monetary instruments on any occasion into or out of the United States, or if you receive more than that amount, in behalf of someone else and then transport it, you must file a Customs Form 4790 with U.S. Customs. Failure to comply can result in civil and criminal penalties, including seizure of the currency or monetary instruments. Monetary instruments include U.S. or foreign coins, currency, traveler's checks, money orders, and negotiable instruments or investment securities in bearer form are all considered when determining the total $10,000 reporting requirement.
What a bunch of jerks. They were trying to get his consent to go to the station, because what the TSA agents were doing was of questionable legality.
Carrying $4,700 cash is not a valid reason for detainment at an airport. They did not have probably cause. Mr. Bierfeldt is not required by law to answer any of the questions they were asking.
When that one TSA agent said "You're acting like a child", what he really must have meant was "You're acting like someone who is not guilty and does not fear exercising his rights."
This creates a frightening precedent. The TSA agents did not answer him when Steve asked if he was required by law to answer their questions. This automatically implies he was not required by law, and the TSA was relying on his fear-induced cooperation.
The jack booted brown shirts are out there. Soon they will be stopping every one who has a stack of bills- We won't have long to wait. I expect to see a day not too distant when $10k will be necessary in the weekly visit to the grocery store.
In your honor I will load up on cash, paste C4L and Ron Paul stickers all over my laptop, and put my pocket Constitution in plain sight when I travel next week. F*ck'em!
Your detainers watch too much 24.
Happy to know you got out of it O.K. I wonder what would have happened if you had asked for the police.
I've told this story before but just in case someone else has had a similar experience, here it is.
I cross the US border about twice a year. I have a friend who lives in BC Canada so I usually make a ski trip out there once a year, and try to get to central america once a year as well. I have never had trouble at the border; everyonce in a while coming back from central america I will get checked out for drugs, but this is expected...
This year on my way into Canada, everything was cool until the border guy swiped my passport. Then he got really weird and skeptical of me. He sent me to the "special" room so I figured they would check me out for drugs as my hair is long and I will accept that I might look like a mildly sketchy 20 something year old. Anyways, he sent me to a US border agent, which is weird on my way into Canada. He wanted to know everything about me; he questioned me for about 20 minutes. All things about who I am, where I am coming from and where I am going. Nothing about drugs. In fact, they never even checked my luggage. They were extremely rude to me despite my cooperation and polite disposition (I needed to get into Canada for that powder!). Eventually the agent sighed and let me go...
I know it is a stretch to make any assumptions from my experience at the border this time, and I don't. But it is noteworthy because after crossing the Canadian border over 20 times (including one in December 2001 with my arab friend) I have never been questioned like this going in or coming back. It was interesting that I had trouble leaving the country, but not even the slightest bit of trouble coming back on this same trip. They even had a drug dog on the way back in and they skipped over me!! They seemed very concerned about me leaving, not at all about coming back in...
After sharing this video with friends and family, I had a few thoughts.
First, we should all tip our hats to Steve for his patriotism. It is not about never being scared, folks. It's totally understandable to be a little on-edge about your rights and what the government intends to do to squash them, especially given events in recent history. But it's about overcoming that fear and proudly saying "NO!" to Federal agents when you know, armed with the Constitution of the United States of America, that you are in the RIGHT and they are WRONG.
I'm a Texan, born and raised, thus I have something of a unique perspective on the cause of liberty. I can cite the stories not only of our Founding Fathers but also the leaders of the Texas Revolution when looking for heroes whose examples I can follow. Those who came before us knew that what happened to Steve, as chilling as it is, is actually pretty banal compared to what they had to go through. People who signed the Declaration of Independence had friends and family taken away. Some were financially ruined. In Texas, Stephen F. Austin was incarcerated for three months leading up to our own revolution for simply writing a letter. Prior to his detention, he was as patriotic a Mexican citizen as you could meet anywhere.
Second, re: whether this mysterious plainclothes agent coincidentally happened upon Steve's situation or was trailing him because of his involvement with the Campaign for Liberty... I think we would all like to believe in coincidences, but it is far more likely that Steve's political affiliations were the reason for G-Man's 11th hour rescue (if not the initial motivation for Steve's detention and interrogation in the first place). I would very much like to know if the same agent took Steve's flight with him back home or if he followed him to his departure gate at all.
Third, what is most telling about the audio recording is not Steve's bravery in the face of brute intimidation, compelling as it was. Instead, I was struck by the agents' responses to Steve's "childish" behavior. When asked whether he was legally obligated to answer their questions, the agents were LIVID! How DARE an American citizen question their authority? The airport is, after all, where the TSA call the shots. Clearly they have everyone so cowed no one ever resists in the same way. Their silence to his questions about the law also speaks volumes: they weren't just being coy. I sincerely believe the average TSA goon doesn't KNOW the law he claims to be responsible for enforcing.
And that is all they are. The lapdogs in the alphabet soup of government agencies are all just thugs with badges. If Big Government's foundation rests on the principles of legal plunder, the DEA, DHS, FBI, IRS, TSA and countless other agencies are all just privateers.
A few hundred thousand more encounters like the one they had with Steve should send the message that we won't play their games anymore. It may be inconvenient, dangerous and terrifying, but it is your patriotic responsibility to stand up to the fascists when you know they are wrong. Kudos to Steve Bierfeldt for reminding us of what it means to be an American.
Ok. So it is our guy and our site. Why have they not posted the entire recording yet? Get it out there so we can start sending the info to everyone we know and then some!
After listening to the entire audio it raises a couple of questions for me.
They are forcing him to go to the police station because they are suspicious of the fact that he has $4700 in his posession. Since when does having a large amount of cash on your person become unlawful? The only law that was stated in previous posts was in regards to international travel and NOT domestic travel.
This idiot TSA agent "feels he is not secure in letting him go down "his" concourse to get on his plane." Based upon what? It is obvious that these "employees" need to have better training before being put into a role of such responsibility. It is hard to put the responsibility of enforcing the law in the hands of those that do not understand the laws they are entrusted to enforce. If they did not understand the questions of "Am I legally required to answer that question?", then they need to get a supervisor or someone who is educated enough to answer the question.
Kudos Steve for standing up for your rights, our rights.
I am proud to admit that $40 of that $4,700 was from me :) I was in St. Louis, and am thrilled that I was able to meet Dr Paul and hear him speak. I enjoyed the entire rally and hearing all the speakers.
OK... it's actually pretty darn hard to get me angry nowadays. After everything I've seen, and all that I know, I am pretty jaded about just how far men with a little power will abuse it. BUT THIS GETS ME SO ANGRY I CAN'T SEE STRAIGHT. I'm going to go sit outside for a while.
$4700 dollars today is the same as $101.48 as described in the Coinage Act, 1792 (The Mint Act) where $10 is to have "247 grains" (0.515 ounces). Then the Federal Reserve inflated the dollar for nearly 100 years.
Basically it is 5.222 ounces and gold today is priced at $900/ounce.
The last section of the Coinage Act is interesting:
Sec. 19. And be it further enacted, That if any of the gold or silver coins which shall be struck or coined at the said mint shall be debased or made worse as to the proportion of fine gold or fine silver therein contained, or shall be of less weight or value than the same ought to be pursuant to the directions of this act, through the default or with the connivance of any of the officers or persons who shall be employed at the said mint, for the purpose of profit or gain, or otherwise with a fraudulent intent, and if any of the said officers or persons shall embezzle any of the metals which shall at any time be committed to their charge for the purpose of being coined, or any of the coins which shall be struck or coined at the said mint, every such officer or person who shall commit any or either of the said offences, shall be deemed guilty of felony, and shall suffer death.
"Eagles--each to be of the value of ten dollars or units, and to contain two hundred and forty-seven grains and four eighths of a grain of pure, or two hundred and seventy grains of standard gold.
Perhaps Steve should contact the Attorneys for Michael Savage, who just filed suit against Janet Napolitano and Eric Holder over the DHS Right Wing Extremism report. The suit is at Copy of suit filed is at: http://www.thomasmore.org/downloads/sb_thomasmore/ComplaintAgainstDepartmentofHo melandSecurity.pdf.
The DHS report(Prepared by the Extremism and Radicalization Branch, Homeland Environment Threat Analysis Division. Coordinated with the FBI) is linked to at http://www.nypost.com/seven/04162009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/the_vet_th...
Even though the DHS report is dated 7 April, I suspect that it's previous drafts were the source of what we saw out of Missouri's FUSION Center. And, it's no stretch to tie that report to Steve's experience. Steve might be able to provide some pretty useful testimony in that case, in defense of liberty.
"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."
—Thomas Jefferson
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