United States v. Kamyar Taghizadeh

We must decide whether customs officials violated 19 U.S.C. § 482 by improperly searching international mail.

I

This case is about a package which turned out to contain opium. Customs officials noticed it came from Turkey, a common source of drugs, and was addressed to a post office box, a common destination for narcotics. As a result, customs officials opened the package and found 75 sticks of opium, each about six inches long.

When Kamyar Taghizadeh picked up the package, law enforcement officials followed him home. Taghizadeh let them come inside to discuss the package, waived his Miranda rights, and consented to a search of his home.

Since the package was addressed to Ken Mondal, Taghizadeh said he was keeping the package for a friend in Germany by that name. In what must have been an awkward moment for Taghizadeh, the agents showed him “Ken Mondal’s” driver’s license, which had Taghizadeh’s photograph and address on it. Taghizadeh then admitted that Ken Mon-dal was his alias, that he knew the package contained opium, and that he had sold opium in the past.

In searching Taghizadeh’s home, the agents found all sorts of things: not only the opium, but also some opium pipes,…