U.S. CUSTOMS REPORTS JUMP IN DRUG SEIZURES

Drug seizures by U.S. Customs officers in West Texas and New Mexico
are setting a record pace, customs officials said.

In the past week, customs inspectors, special agents and canine
enforcement officers seized 2,892 pounds of marijuana and 3.6 pounds
of cocaine in 33 seizures. The El Paso ports of entry surpassed the
number of seizures at San Ysidro, Calif.

In the first seven months of fiscal year 2002, which began Oct. 1,
area customs officers seized 227,555 pounds of marijuana, cocaine and
heroin, compared with 160,652 pounds at the same time last year.

"The inspectors are working hard, and anti-terrorist activities are
our number one priority. After September 11th, we went into strict
scrutiny of people and vehicles entering the U.S.," Roger Maier,
customs spokesman, said. "While we haven't found anything related to
terrorism, the narcotics numbers have been outstanding."

Customs officers are on a pace that would lead to the seizure of
about 390,000 pounds of illegal drugs by the end of the fiscal year,
Sept. 30. This amount would shatter the previous record of 308,942
pounds, tallied in fiscal year 2000.

"The numbers of seizures have been climbing for the last five years,
but this past year the numbers just jumped up," Maier said. "The
harder you look, the more you're going to find."

The largest seizure of the past week was made Monday, when a drug-
sniffing dog alerted customs inspectors to a rear wall of a 1993
Halcon Omnibus Integrales bus. Inspectors drilled and found 484
bundles of marijuana. The driver, Jose Luis Teran Estrada, 62, of
Chihuahua, was arrested and charged with importing a controlled
substance and possession with intent to distribute.

"Even if terrorist threats diminished, the narcotics threat remains,"
Maier said.