Omaha, NE Criminal Defense Lawyer Exposes Dangerous Warrantless Surveillance On I-80 Revealed After 30-Pound Carfentanil Drug Bust
As reported by KETV NewsWatch 7 on May 21, 2025, Nebraska State Patrol officers, along with local and federal partners, stopped a vehicle near Seward, NE and uncovered the unprecedented carfentanil stash during what they claimed was a routine traffic stop. Authorities said the amount of the confiscated drug could potentially harm millions of people.
Top Omaha, NE, interstate drug trafficking lawyer Daniel Stockmann, argues that the benefits of such a drug possession bust do not outweigh the growing threat of law enforcement’s pervasive and rapidly-expanding omnipotence through the use of new technological advancements. Instead, he’s raising alarms over potential Constitutional rights infringements leading to such arrests, particularly regarding the increasing use of Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs). These scanners quietly track vehicles’ movements, compiling massive amounts of data, often without a warrant and with little public scrutiny.
"ALPRs make everyone a suspect by default," Stockmann said. "They collect where you go in your car, when you go, and how often. That’s continual public surveillance without consent - and without judicial oversight."
The concern is growing nationwide. A recent investigation by 404 Media uncovered that a law enforcement official utilized a nationwide license plate scanner network to track a woman's vehicle as she crossed state lines while seeking medical treatment. While that case dealt with a controversial medical procedure, Stockmann stresses that the implications of the incident are much more dire.
"This Automated License Plate Readers technology is being framed as a tool for crime prevention, but in practice, it's enabling widespread government surveillance which could then be used to initiate unlawful drug arrests on I-80," he said.
He added that these tools are being quietly integrated into drug interdiction efforts along key corridors like Interstate 80, often without drivers knowing their data is being collected, or how it might be used.
"If a cop can run your plate through a national network and see your movements without a warrant, that's a dangerous precedent," Stockmann warned. “It doesn’t just affect suspected drug traffickers. It affects everyone.”
These concerns are not new for well-known Omaha drug defense attorney Stockmann. For years, he has urged a closer look at how traffic stops are conducted along I-80. He’s pointed to patterns that suggest out-of-state drivers are being targeted, particularly near areas like Lincoln and Seward.
Stockmann has spent over 15 years challenging drug-related traffic stops on I-80 and has long maintained that out-of-state drivers and minority motorists are disproportionately targeted. He previously issued statements highlighting racial profiling and vague reasons for initiating vehicle searches.
“This isn’t just about one drug bust. It’s about the bigger picture; where we’re heading as a society if we don’t draw a clear line between legitimate law enforcement and unconstitutional overreach,” Stockmann said. “Constitutional rights still matter, even on the highway.”
Daniel Stockmann
Nebraska Interstate Drug Defense
+1 402-884-1031
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