MARIJUANA DEMAND ADDRESSED IN BORDER DRUG CONFERENCE

The Border Patrol chief in charge of safeguarding the local border region
provided a grim message Wednesday on the United States' demand for marijuana.

Border Patrol Chief-Agent-in-Charge John Montoya said the Laredo and
McAllen Border Patrol Sectors have so far seized close to a million pounds
of marijuana, proving that the U.S. has a strong demand for the drug.

"The Laredo sector is now the number two spot in the nation for marijuana
seizures. We weren't there two years ago," Montoya explained.

Border Patrol at Laredo does not have the resources to address the increase
in drug trafficking because those resources are at other locations, he added.

"Drug smugglers know that. They are not bound by any rules, regulations,
laws or lack of money. They can move wherever they want to," he said.

McAllen continues to hold the number one spot in the nation for drug seizures.

Montoya said educating the country's young citizens could be one way to
combat the drug war.

"We have to educate our children to make sure they don't become users.
There wouldn't be any supply of drugs because there wouldn't be a need for
it. And, there wouldn't be the need to have the Border Patrol engaged in a
war on drugs," Montoya said.

Montoya was one of several dozen speakers addressing the Border Conference
on Strategies to Combat Drugs.

The two-day conference got underway Wednesday morning at the Laredo Civic
Center with local law enforcement and school officials in attendance.

Montoya said the agency's current war on drugs has become its secondary
mission.

"We were chartered to enforce the immigration law of the U.S. In this area
of operation, we conduct activities to prevent the illegal entry of persons
into this country. We are also there to interdict any illegal contraband
that anyone may want to bring across," he said.

Montoya gave a brief explanation of the agency's accomplishments and goals,
which include increasing its manpower.

The Border Patrol chief displayed several charts showing the agency's
operations from San Diego to Brownsville.

Montoya also said that the sanctions against employers for hiring
undocumented workers is not working because, again, there is a "demand" for
workers in jobs such as agriculture.

Montoya said the sanctions were put in placed in 1986 and only worked for a
few years.

The conference continues on Thursday with judges Raul Vasquez, Manuel
Flores and Ben Morales addressing several groups.

The objective of the conference is to increase awareness of drug use,
network service provider agencies and law enforcement agencies.

Those attending the conference will participate in discussions over the
funding needed for additional anti-drug programs and new legislative bills
to address the problem.

Judge Jesus Garza, one of the key organizers, said the conference and
attendance on the first day was exceptional.

(Staff writer Robert Garcia can be reached at 728-2565 or by email at
robert@lmtonline.com)