Check out the story of Pedro Zapeta, who saved $59K, only to have the Feds snatch it and refuse to give it back, presumably on the ground that hey, he’s South American — must be a drug mule!

Jesus. Zapeta made errors — he’s illegal, and was unaware of the $10K cash issue — but the way our government is treating him is absurd and grotesque. He worked hard for his money, and now the only way he has any hope of getting it back depends on the pro bono kindness of strangers. Here’s a great bit:

Robert Gershman, one of Zapeta’s attorneys, said federal prosecutors later offered his client a deal: He could take $10,000 of the original cash seized, plus $9,000 in donations as long as he didn’t talk publicly and left the country immediately.

Zapeta said, “No.” He wanted all his money. He’d earned it, he said.