Miami-Dade Police Lured Robbers to the Redland, Then Shot Them

I'm of two minds on this.
It's good that the cops are getting criminals off the street.
Especially if the guys are as violent as they claim they are.
However setting them up and using them as live target practice is not good at all.
I would of thought they could of incapacitated the guys in a different manner.

And it's not the first time that MPD has been accused of using too much force.
Several other police shootings have been questioned.

Miami-Dade Police Lured Robbers to the Redland, Then Shot Them

Gonzalez's father barks out the plan: Cut the chainlink fence, get in the house, tie up the pot growers, and steal the $60,000 drug stash. Junior parks the getaway car on a side street and waits behind the wheel. The four others slip ski masks over their faces. Dressed in black, they slip through a mango nursery and approach from the south. They slice through the fence with bolt cutters. Then, weapons in hand, they creep toward the house.

Andrew silently sucks the swampy air through his mask. The only sound is the squelch of his sneakers sinking into the rain-drenched lawn. The four thieves drift through the trees like wraiths.

But hidden among the shadows, dozens of gunmen follow the intruders' every step through the scopes of Colt M4 Commando assault rifles. The robbers don't know it, but their stealth is an illusion; their surprise attack, a cruel joke.

Suddenly, an unmarked van bursts through the back gate with a crack of snapping metal, tears across the lawn, and slides to a halt. A half-dozen men in black gear jump out, shouting. The panicked gangsters scatter. A volley of gunshots explodes, rapid-fire like a string of fireworks.

By the time the ambush ends, the four robbers' lifeless bodies lie scattered across the lawn. Andrew made it the farthest. His bullet-riddled corpse is only a few yards from the fence.

It was a ruthless, professional hit. But the killers weren't pot growers protecting their contraband; they were cops. The whole robbery had been a setup. And Betancourt — a "cooperating defendant" who had helped authorities lay the trap — was among the four dead on the grass.

Is it right for the police to do this? Probably not.
But I have a feeling that the thieves would've ended up dying from gunshot wounds sometime later at the hands of fellow criminals, so I don't have too much pity for them.

I know a lot of set ups end up being entrapment, but when it's a non police officer type setting it up then it avoids entrapment. Regardless, we have a court system for a reason.

Seems as if there is a trickle-down effect from the CIA to local police departments. The only difference is word probably wouldn't of gotten out about the CIA drug-smuggling.

These murderers are psychotic, actually believing this operation was in anyway acceptable. May God have mercy on their soul. The victims offense: growing a plant.

reply to post by Big Trouble in Little Chi


Did you read the articale? These guys were not growers, they were there to rob the growers and were fully armed. They would have cut the growers down just as the cops cut them down.

reply to post by Big Trouble in Little Chi


I'm going on the assumption that you didn't really read the whole article. The victims were home invaders who liked to torture their victims. Now, I in no ways think the police were justified in this act, but the those who were shot were apparently guilty of far more than 'growing a plant'.

May God have mercy on the intruders' souls you mean.He already blessed the defenders with a victory over the asocial scum that run rampant through revolving door legal systems.
Would you do any less if they were invading your home? It isn't about the tactics its about the criminals.
They were approaching with violent intent as that article was written and volunteered to die in the attempt to steal money with the intent to kill.

I feel like I need a tiny bit more information. Not firing at police doesn't mean they weren't a threat. If they were raising there guns, I get the shooting. It still seems like the sting could have been set up better. Police using unmarked vans to sped up on a group of armed men seems like poor planning. Not too much sympathy for the dead, but not impressed with the tactics here.

reply to post by Domo1


Interesting thought there.
I suppose most criminals are less likely to attack/run from a police officer than a rival criminal. Seems to almost incite violence when they pull up in unmarked vans.

I bet it was a hectic situation and it's likely that we don't know all the facts, but still.

More information would be nice but since we don't have that here are my thoughts on the matter.
Number one is that the cops knew these guys were bad and armed, so cops know there is going to be shooting.
The bad guys no matter what are going to assume that the cops are the growers protecting their crop/cash, that means a shootout in here.

The bad guys are going to shoot their way in or shoot to escape.

Two, if the bad guys were not stopped would we be reading about 12 headless bodies strewn all over the property?

Three, how residential was this area? does anyone know?

Four, what are the criminal records of the deceased?

Five, could this have been done in a safer way without multiple deaths? that I don't know.

Six, from a personal point of view I have a life long friend whom has been convicted twice of armed bank robbery.
The first time he was solo with a fake gun, the second time he was the wheel man and got caught napping big time.
Sitting in the car in Downtown Toronto waiting for the guys to come back with the loot and as he looked to the left to check traffic there was a really big gun stuck into his forehead.......LOL

The other boys in the bank were locked and loaded to get the money but the sting went flawlessly as they were all surprised to find out that the tellers were armed swat members in suits.

Not a shot fired and 4 bad ones gone to the big house for years.

Could this have worked in the situation we are discussing?

I have no idea.

To the OP S&F for a thought provoking thread.
Regards, Iwinder

reply to post by Iwinder


1 This was a police sting.
They knew the guys were coming and who was on their way. I think it could of been handled a bit differently.

2 probably not since it was a setup.

3 The Redland area is somewhat rural. A few acres of land with a house on it type deal. Depending on where you go.

4. The article lists their records. Violent robbery, car theft etc.

5. I think it could of been.

reply to post by MeesterB


It reminds me of those cases where a no knock search warrant is issued and the homeowner fires on the officers. Well would he have if he knew they were police? Break in my door in the middle of the night and I'm not going to be cooperating with verbal commands, I would be probably be shooting. It's actually something that scares the hell out of me. Police getting the wrong address and storming in.

reply to post by grey580

Thanks for the information,
"2 probably not since it was a setup.

3 The Redland area is somewhat rural. A few acres of land with a house on it type deal. Depending on where you go. "

On number 2 what I meant was if there was an actual drug house operating which there is somewhere around there then would have there not been numerous headless victims strewn about?

On number 3 thanks for the information, I was concerned that it was a more residential setting.
In hindsight I guess that operation would never have happened in a tight space.


On 5 I can't say one way or the other as we don't have the specs but regardless maybe the whole story will emerge and inform us.

Yeah I know a pipe dream but you never know..
Thanks again for the newer information and your thoughts.
Regards, Iwinder

Originally posted by David134
reply to post by Big Trouble in Little Chi

 

Did you read the articale? These guys were not growers, they were there to rob the growers and were fully armed. They would have cut the growers down just as the cops cut them down.

The cooperating defendant who led the police to the intruders was gunned down. This alone makes the entire operation a giant failure. Innocent blood was spilled.