TASK FORCE SEIZED $1.5 MILLION IN DRUGS IN '99

Taking stock of hundreds of narcotics-related arrests and nearly $1.5
million in drug seizures in 1999, representatives of member agencies of the
West Texas Narcotics Enforcement Task Force say they are pleased with
another productive year.

David Bradshaw, commander of the Task Force, said that from Jan. 1 to Dec.
31, 1999 the Task Force initiated 323 criminal investigations resulting in
the arrest of 236 defendants, with the seizure of 17 vehicles and $33,472
in cash.

The total street value of the narcotics seized by the Task Force during the
calendar year of 1999 was $1.407 million.

In addition, the West Texas Narcotic Enforcement Task Force assisted other
agencies with the seizures of 3,760 pounds of marijuana, 4.39 pounds of
cocaine, 9 grams of crack cocaine, 1.5 pounds of heroin and 1.8 pounds of
methamphetamine. "The total value of drug seizures in which the Task Force
assisted is $2,294,160," said Bradshaw.

"In the past 12 months, through cooperative efforts with the FBI, the Drug
Enforcement Administration Task Force, Texas Department of Public Safety
and various city and county law enforcement agencies, narcotics totaling
$3.7 million were taken off the streets in West Texas," said Bradshaw.

"I am extremely pleased with the task force in the past year," said Odessa
Police Chief James Jenkins, "not only for the productivity, but for the
cooperation of the participating agencies."

Funding for the West Texas Task Force is provided by funds from the U.S.
Bureau of Criminal Justice.

"Currently, it appears that the cost of local matching funds to the local
participating agencies would be minimum, if any," Bradshaw said.

For that, Chief Lonny Smith of the Big Spring Police Department is grateful.

"Being a member of the drug task force has allowed putting resources in
place and getting assistance, resulting in big benefits for the residents
of Big Spring and the surrounding counties."

He noted that just two of the federal investigations in Big Spring resulted
in the dismantling of one family drug organization that had been doing
business in Big Spring since the 1950s. Smith said the other resulted in
the arrest of eight people doing illegal narcotics business in Howard and
Glasscock counties for nearly 15 years.

The members of the West Texas Task Force include: Texas Department of
Public Service, Presidio County, city of Marfa, Brewster County, city of
Alpine, Pecos County, city of Fort Stockton, Crane County, city of Crane,
Upton County, Ector County, city of Odessa, Martin County, Howard County
and the city of big Spring.

The West Texas Task Force also has a co-operating agreement with the city
of Midland.

Midland County belongs to the Trans Pecos Drug Task Force, which has only
been active since Aug. 1, said Assistant Commander James Semmler.

In that time, the Trans Pecos Task Force has worked 216 cases with 156
arrests, 10 vehicles, three houses, and $107,360 in cash seized.

In addition, the Task Force seized: 994 pounds of marijuana valued at
$565,870, four marijuana plants valued at $6,468, 16.9 pounds of cocaine
valued at $157,981, 25 hits of LSD valued at $175, 14 grams of black tar
heroin valued at $3,584, six grams of psilocybin valued at $54, and 1.3
pounds of methamphetamine valued at $14,519.

The Trans Pecos Task Force is composed of representatives of Reeves, Jeff
Davis, Culberson, Ward, Loving, Winkler, Andrews, Midland and Reagan
counties.