1999 Tulia drug arrests

1999 Tulia drug arrests
Tulia, Texas
DateJuly 23, 1999
LocationTulia, Texas
Coordinates34°32′09″N 101°45′31″W / 34.53583°N 101.75861°W / 34.53583; -101.75861
TypePolice raid
ParticipantsTom Coleman
(Undercover as T. J. Dawson)
Arrests47[a]
Convicted38
ChargesDelivery of a controlled substance
Pardoned35

A total of 47 individuals,[a] the majority of whom were African American, were arrested in 1999 in Tulia, Texas on charges of cocaine dealing as a result of an undercover operation carried out by agent Tom Coleman. Coleman's testimony was crucial in the convictions of 38 of the 47. Years later, 35 of the 38 incarcerated were pardoned by Texas governor Rick Perry.

What ensued was a media frenzy that was widely covered by national media outlets such as The New York Times, 60 Minutes, People, and A&E Networks.

  1. ^ Blakeslee 2005, pp. 410–417.
  2. ^ Balko 2021.


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