Running amuck with seizures of U.S. citizens’ property skyrocketing to $5 billion annually, jumping 4,667 percent since 1986, report from Institute of Justice.

Civil forfeiture laws allow government to seize property on mere suspicion it’s associated with criminal activity, at which point burden is on property owner to prove it was lawful. Or confiscate by “imminent domain.”

When laws make taking property relatively easy and lucrative, it’s no surprise to see agencies take advantage. When asset seizure programs began in 1986, the Justice Department collected $93.7 million from forfeitures. 2001 approached $500 million, since it exploded to over $5 billion, 10-fold increase.

Laws should be reformed, requiring a criminal conviction and eliminating profit incentive, allowing law enforcement filling their coffers.

Several states have passed reforms to limit property seizures and legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate “any confiscated funds sent to Treasury Dept. general fund,” eliminating profit for individual government bureaus.

Another agency, the Interior Department Office of Inspector General, Washington Times reported investigated federal Bureau of Land Management, selling 1,794 wild horses, which are federally protected, to Colorado rancher Tom Davis, who had business ties to Ken Salazar, who served as Obama’s Interior Secretary from 2009-2013.

Rancher Davis purchased mustangs for $10 each, making $174,000. And taxpayers paid $140,000 transportation costs to Mexico, ending up at slaughter houses.

Agency had to know, but did not stop sales, plus U.S. Attorney’s Office and County decided not to pursue criminal or civil case stemming from killings of nearly 2,000 wild horses.

These agencies shouldn’t receive federal funding for their illegal practices. Instead of eliminating, more and more agencies are added, making government more powerful, stomping on our rights, forcing more taxation of citizens, plus our freedoms destroyed.