United States of Amerika

The nightmare began in the predawn hours of August 6, 2013...

Audrey Hudson's husband had just left for work when her dog started barking furiously at the front window.  Peeking out from behind the curtains of her Maryland home, Hudson drew a breath in sharply.  Dozens of law enforcement personnel in full body armor surrounded her home.  The phone rang; it was her husband in the driveway.  "Open the front door."

Hudson, a journalist for the Washington Times, and her husband were held captive by armed guards from the Maryland State Police, United States Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security for hours in their kitchen.  Under the pretense of looking for unregistered guns and a potato gun, they searched and seized files of documents and personal notes from the journalist's home.

At one point during their captivity, an agent asked Hudson if she was the same journalist who wrote a series of articles criticizing the DHS Federal Air Marshal program.  She admitted she was.  The agent responded, "Those stories were embarrassing to the agency."

Five weeks later when Hudson was able to retrieve her files from Homeland Security, she realized that much of what they'd taken--all notes and documents relating to her Federal Air Marshal stories--exceeded the limitations of the search warrant.  The government had no legal authority to take what they did.  Currently, Hudson and the Washington Times are preparing to take legal action.

The state and federal officials didn't seize anything relating to illegal guns or potato guns.  They seized legally owned guns, but no records of gun sales in her files or computer.  Hudson also learned that the Coast Guard had accessed her personal Facebook page.  Her husband is a civilian Coast Guard employee.  It's interesting to note that Hudson and her husband have not been charged with a crime.

But, why would the agencies do this?

Hudson offers, "I think they found a great way to get into my house and get a hold of my confidential notes and go through every other file in my office."

It's a frightening day for every American as we realize that the government can storm into a journalist's home, hold her and her husband captive, and use a sham warrant to sneak out files relating to a story critical of the government as well as legal guns.

United States of Amerika.