United States v. Arvizu

A border patrol agent stopped Arvizu (defendant) based on a combination of factors including his van's checkpoint-avoiding route, unusual passenger behavior, an odd rear-passenger knee elevation, a registered address in a smuggling-associated area, and the type of vehicle commonly used for smuggling; the stop led to a consented search revealing over 100 pounds of marijuana. Arvizu moved to suppress, the district court denied the motion, and the Ninth Circuit reversed, finding none of the individual factors gave rise to reasonable suspicion.