MODESTANS STILL HELD IN MEXICO

Two Modesto teen-agers detained in Mexico, after authorities say they tried
to smuggle drugs, could be released from custody and deported to the United
States once they each pay a $3,000 fine, Mexican officials said Thursday.

Leticia Irene Garcia, 16, and Leticia Soto, 17, were taken to a juvenile
detention center in Tapachula, Chiapas, after police said they discovered 2
pounds of cocaine taped to the girls' bodies.

The girls, who told police they were from Modesto, were stopped at an
airport. Police said the girls told them they bought the cocaine in
Tapachula and were boarding a plane to Chicago.

The girls remained at the juvenile detention center late Thursday. The
center houses 170 juvenile offenders; six are girls.

Tapachula, a city of about 225,000 people, is on the Guatemala border.

It is unclear why the two teen-agers were there. Mexican authorities believe
the girls do not have family in Tapachula. Based on their Spanish skills,
one Mexican police officer said it was not likely they had lived in the
area.

Federal and state prison officials in Mexico referred all questions to the
Procuraduria General de Republica, similar to the U.S. attorney general.
Calls, however, were not returned. Officials at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico
City could not be reached Thursday.

The Mexican police officer, who said he could not comment officially, said
embassy representatives met with the girls at the detention center earlier
this week.

On Thursday, Mexican authorities told the girls that if they each paid
$3,000, they would be promptly released and expelled from the country,
sources in Mexico said.

Many American officials believe juvenile punishment in Mexico doesn't fit
the crime.

"In Mexico, they still believe that juveniles are not responsible for the
crimes they commit," said special agent Ernie Duran with the California
Department of Justice. "For instance, there was a juvenile detained for
murder. Within 6 months, he was released ... There are fundamental
differences in the system.

"Obviously, the juvenile is not going to be punished down there."

Duran said juvenile justice in Mexico is based on rehabilitation, not
punishment. Nearly every Mexican state has a dormitory-style juvenile
detention center with counselors, social workers and teachers. Family
members are active participants in the process, he said.

"If they were adults, Mexico would have prosecuted them to the fullest
extent of the law," Duran said from his San Diego office. "It doesn't matter
if they're foreigners or Mexican citizens; once they are in the system,
they're treated the same."

And American justice officials will not interfere with that system.

Once a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained, Mexican authorities notify the
nearest consulate of the situation. Officials with the U.S. State
Department, embassy or consulate then typically check the inmate's condition
at the Mexican jail or juvenile center to ensure that U.S. citizens are
treated the same as other inmates.

No special effort is made to alleviate their plight. U.S. officials do not
meddle with Mexican laws.

"The U.S. has nothing to do with this," said Gary Schons, senior assistant
attorney general with the California Department of Justice. "This is purely
a Mexican affair ... It sounds like they need a good lawyer."

It remained unclear late Thursday if U.S. officials would attempt to arrest
the teen-age girls if and when they return to the United States.