Opinion ID: 553325
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Alternative Investigative Means

Text: 32 An application for an order authorizing the interception of wire communications must include [a] full and complete statement as to whether or not other investigative procedures had been tried and failed or why they reasonably appear to be unlikely to succeed if tried or to be too dangerous. Fla.Stat.Ann. Sec. 934.09(1)(c) (West. Supp.1990); 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2518(1)(c). The appellants contend that the district court erred in concluding that the affidavit and its supporting evidence demonstrated that less intrusive investigative methods were unlikely to succeed. 33 An expert witness for the appellants testified that stationary surveillance could easily have been accomplished of the Plasencia residence. Yet, the expert was unaware of the countersurveillance measures which Plasencia had in place, and he conceded that countersurveillance would affect the type of observations which could successfully be undertaken. In fact, high walls encircling the Plasencia residence and security cameras sweeping the surrounding area hindered stationary observation of the compound. The affidavit recites that on some forty-nine occasions attempts to determine what cars had entered the Plasencia compound were unsuccessful. 34 The appellants also contend that the affidavit failed to specify how stationary surveillance of a score of other residential and business premises suspected of involvement with the organization under investigation had been tried and failed or why it was unlikely to succeed if tried. The affidavit, however, does state that several attempts were made to follow Carballo and on each occasion he engaged in evasive maneuvers which frustrated the attempts to follow him. Likewise, efforts to conduct physical surveillance of Carballo's residence and of suspected cocaine storage sites were unsuccessful. 35 The appellants assert that during the four and one-half month investigation, the officers should have cultivated the apparently well-connected tipster into a confidential informant for use in an undercover investigation. The officers, however, should not be faulted for failing to unmask the tipster. His calls were unannounced and generally of short duration. The tipster sought to conceal his identity and acted accordingly. Even if the tipster had been identified, one cannot presume that he would have agreed to act as an informant given his fear of the Plasencia organization. 36 The appellants also contend the law enforcement officers failed to attempt any infiltration of the organization though undercover agents, failed to execute search warrants at any of the premises suspected of containing cocaine, failed to subpoena any of the persons suspected of being involved in the organization to testify before the grand jury, and failed to offer immunity or protective services of the government to any of these potential witnesses. These arguments were fully presented to the district court which properly concluded that none of the alternative techniques suggested would have been feasible. 37 It is true that  'we must be careful not to permit the government merely to characterize a case as a drug conspiracy that is therefore inherently difficult to investigate. The affidavit must show with specificity why in this particular investigation ordinary means of investigation will fail.'  United States v. Ippolito, 774 F.2d 1482, 1486 (9th Cir.1985) (quoting United States v. Robinson, 698 F.2d 448, 453 (D.C.Cir.1983) (per curiam) (emphasis in original)). The necessity for electronic eavesdropping in this case was considered in light of the demonstrated futility of alternative means of investigation. The district court did not err in concluding that electronic interception was a necessary tactic in this criminal investigation. See United States v. Van Horn, 789 F.2d 1492, 1496-97 (11th Cir.), cert. denied, 479 U.S. 855, 107 S.Ct. 192, 93 L.Ed.2d 124 (1986). 38