It is automatically considered entrapment in the United States if the police sell you illegal substances without revealing themselves.

The story behind the answer

False. Under U.S. law, entrapment isn’t automatic just because police act undercover or sell illegal substances. Entrapment is a defense that applies when government agents induce someone to commit a crime they were not already predisposed to commit. Most U.S. courts use a “subjective” test: did the government induce the crime, and was the defendant predisposed before contact? Simply offering an opportunity—such as in a sting or “reverse sting”—is generally lawful.

It can become entrapment if officers use coercion, persistent pressure, or manipulation to overcome the will of someone otherwise unwilling. Supreme Court cases like Sorrells, Sherman, and Jacobson draw this line. Memory tip: Opportunity isn’t entrapment; coercion is.