Operation Pipeline

Operation Pipeline was a federal program initiated in the 1980s to train police officers nationwide in highway drug interdiction. Its goal was to identify and seize illegal drugs and related criminal activity by inspecting vehicles on suspicion during traffic stops. The program emphasized techniques such as observing driver behavior and checking driver records, often without specific grounds for suspicion. While intended to combat drug trafficking, critics argued that it sometimes led to profiling and civil rights concerns, as stops were based on observed behaviors rather than concrete evidence.