How to Beat a Drug Trafficking Charge in California
If you’ve recently been arrested for drug trafficking in California, the stakes are high — but your case may not be hopeless. A conviction for trafficking can lead to years in prison, thousands in fines, immigration consequences, and a permanent felony on your record. But being charged is not the same as being convicted. With the right legal strategy, it may be possible to get your drug trafficking charge dismissed, reduced, or resolved in a way that protects your freedom and future.
At The Law Offices of Arash Hashemi, we’ve been defending clients in Los Angeles facing serious drug charges for over 20 years. We understand how prosecutors build these cases — and more importantly, how to break them down. Whether you were accused of transporting drugs, caught during an undercover operation, or charged after a traffic stop, the reality is that many drug trafficking cases are built on assumptions, circumstantial evidence, and aggressive police tactics.
In California, drug trafficking charges are often filed under Health & Safety Code §11352 or §11379. You don’t have to be caught in the middle of a deal — just having a large quantity of a controlled substance, plus things like cash, baggies, scales, or multiple phones, can be enough for prosecutors to assume you intended to sell. But assumptions aren’t facts. And if the evidence was illegally obtained or misinterpreted, your entire case may be vulnerable to challenge.
One of the first things we look at in every trafficking case is how the drugs were found. Knowing how to beat a drug trafficking charge often starts with challenging how the evidence was collected. Were your Fourth Amendment rights violated? Did officers search your car, home, or person without a warrant or probable cause? If so, our criminal defense attorney may be able to suppress the evidence entirely — which can result in the case being dismissed.
In other cases, the issue is whether the drugs even belonged to you. Were you riding in someone else’s car? Was the property shared? Did someone else place the drugs near you or in your luggage? If prosecutors can’t prove you had knowledge and control, they don’t have a case for trafficking.
Even if the drugs were yours, it doesn’t automatically mean you intended to sell. We often push back against overcharging, especially when there’s no strong proof of distribution — no controlled buys, no text messages, no cash transactions. Just possession alone may qualify you for a much less serious charge, or even for a diversion program if you’re eligible.
And in federal cases — which often come with mandatory minimums — we take an aggressive, early approach to avoid indictments or negotiate favorable resolutions. Federal drug laws are harsh, but mistakes in investigation, lack of conspiracy evidence, or errors in the quantity calculation can open the door to real defense opportunities.
Our job isn’t just to know the law — it’s to use it strategically to protect your rights. When you hire our firm, Attorney Arash Hashemi personally reviews every detail of your case. We look at how the stop happened, what the officers did, what evidence the prosecution has (and what they don’t), and how to challenge the narrative. That might mean filing a motion to suppress, negotiating for reduced charges, or preparing for trial to get the best possible result.
We know how frightening these charges are — especially if you’re facing jail time, immigration issues, or a damaged future. We’ve helped hundreds of people walk away from drug charges with reduced penalties, clean records, or no conviction at all.
If you or someone you care about is facing a drug trafficking charge in Los Angeles, don’t wait to seek legal help. The sooner our drug crime lawyer gets involved, the more options we have to protect your rights and build a strong defense from day one.
Contact The Law Offices of Arash Hashemi today to schedule your free consultation. Our office is located at Westside Towers in Los Angeles, and we proudly represent clients throughout the greater Los Angeles area — including Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Westwood, Marina del Rey, and nearby communities.
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