AGENTS SEIZE HEROIN LOAD 92 POUNDS DISCOVERED IN VEHICLE AT BORDER

The U.S. Customs Service said it seized 92 pounds of heroin with an
estimated street value of $3.2 million at the Del Rio border entry
Tuesday morning.

"This is a massive seizure," said Kevin Bell, spokesman for the
service, noting that about 100 pounds is the record for heroin
seizures along the Southwestern border.

Marijuana is more common, he said, and Del Rio is one of the smaller
border entry points.

The seizure occurred after an inspector noticed Samuel
Magana-Fernandez, a 40-year-old Mexican citizen with resident alien
status in the United States, behaving nervously at the checkpoint. He
referred Mr. Magana-Fernandez to a secondary inspection area, where
another inspector used a device to measure whether portions of his
vehicle the Ford Explorer had greater mass, or density, than usual.

After detecting abnormally high readings, the second officer called
in a canine enforcement officer and his drug detector dog.

The dog immediately signaled the scent of narcotics in the rear of
the vehicle. When inspectors drilled into the area, they discovered
heroin under the vehicle's baggage compartment.

Mr. Magana-Fernandez was then arrested. He is to make an initial
appearance before a magistrate in Del Rio on Wednesday.

"We love it when we get these big seizures," Mr. Bell said.

Tuesday's seizure follows several other large confiscations along the
border in recent weeks. On Dec. 17, inspectors in Laredo confiscated
59 pounds of heroin, while 101 pounds were seized Oct. 3 in San Luis,
Ariz.