I agree regarding DEA threatening, lack of rights etc.
However, what he did is against the law - building compartments for drugs. He built compartments for drugs. The judge correctly decided that Anaya consciously tried to evade this law by use of codewords etc. all the while his client are traveling with 800K cash in hidden compartments, asking for smell-resistance, making trips to Tijuana. "Oh, technically, no one used the magic word, 'heroine'" is not a defense. He knew what he was doing. This is why you have a jury - to determine intent. His intentions were to build compartments for everyone, which he doesn't deny, and get away with it based on technicalities.
However, what he did is against the law - building compartments for drugs.
Do you have a cite for that?
I'll just tell you. You are mistaken. Building compartments for drugs is not illegal. This fact is not in dispute. That he was sentenced to prison for it anyway is the reason for the debate.
Conspiring to smuggle drugs is illegal, however. And contributing to the commission of a crime is conspiracy.
The law is not code. It is interpreted. It's not some shocking interpretation to say that, when you find yourself looking for circumlocutions and code words to avoid directly saying the word "drugs", you know you're helping drug smugglers smuggle drugs. Which is a crime. And he got rung up for it.
(Which is not to say that the sentence even remotely fits the crime, but to say no crime was committed is disingenuous.)
No, it is a code. It is literally called the United States Code. Criminal laws are laid out in Title 18 of the United States Code.
And contributing to the commission of a crime is conspiracy.
No, this is incorrect. That is not the legal requirement to obtain a conviction for conspiracy. Every single adult in the United States would probably be at risk of criminal liability if it were.
However, what he did is against the law - building compartments for drugs. He built compartments for drugs. The judge correctly decided that Anaya consciously tried to evade this law by use of codewords etc. all the while his client are traveling with 800K cash in hidden compartments, asking for smell-resistance, making trips to Tijuana. "Oh, technically, no one used the magic word, 'heroine'" is not a defense. He knew what he was doing. This is why you have a jury - to determine intent. His intentions were to build compartments for everyone, which he doesn't deny, and get away with it based on technicalities.