INCREASED U.S. SECURITY STEMS DRUG FLOW

Seizures Up 34% In Border States

EL PASO, Tex. - Mexican marijuana growers are having a tough time this year
as U.S. agents searching for terrorists find illegal drugs instead.

Heightened security at the border since Sept. 11 has led to increases in
the number of drug seizures by U.S. agents during the past month, raising
the total between Sept. 24 and Oct. 25 to 265 from 198 in the same period
last year -- a 34% increase,according to U.S. Customs figures for Texas,
New Mexico and Arizona.

Customs agents in the three border states confiscated 11,400 kilograms of
marijuana from Sept. 24 to Oct. 25, figures show. Figures for California
were not available.

"Since Sept. 11, we've been doing intensive inspections," said U.S. Customs
spokesman Rick Pauza. "At first, we saw a slight decrease. The smugglers
may have been holding back, but they probably couldn't afford to do that
forever."

Before the tragedies in New York and Washington, federal agents patrolling
the United States-Mexico border performed random searches of cars, usually
when something aroused their suspicion.

But security has been raised to its highest level in an effort to catch
terrorists who might try to enter the United States through Mexico or
Canada with a cache of weapons.

Agents initially searched every vehicle, requiring the driver to get out
and open the hood and the trunk. Drug-sniffing dogs routinely circled each
vehicle and agents looked for false compartments.

That level of security has now lessened, though vigilance remains high.

California has also reported a marked increase in the amount of cocaine
seized at its five border crossings, said Vince Bond, a Customs spokesman.

During October, agents confiscated 594 pounds of cocaine, compared to 439
pounds last October, he said.