Miami again in drug spotlight

MIAMI - A history of drug arrests at Miami's airport, with its links
to Latin America, is raising security questions.

Last week's arrest of scores of airline employees in Miami charged
with smuggling drugs and weapons on passenger flights is the latest in
a string of security violations at the nation's seventh-busiest airport.

Federal authorities say that Miami, because of the number of flights
arriving from Latin America, faces greater security issues than any
other airport in the country.

``Miami International Airport is placed in the most unusual position
of having certainly the highest number of flights arriving from what
we call drug source and trans-shipment countries,'' said Michael
Sheehan, South Florida spokesman for the U.S. Customs Service. ``They
face just a tremendously greater risk of drug smuggling and integrity
problems with their employees.''

Federal authorities seize more drugs in South Florida than in any
other single location in the United States.

In the past few years, U.S. Customs agents have found thousands of
pounds of narcotics during hundreds of inspections at Miami
International Airport. Between October 1997 and September 1998, agents
seized 6,230 pounds of cocaine, 806 pounds of heroin, 4,806 pounds of
marijuana and 79 pounds of hashish, Sheehan said.

Some recent cases include:

- -- Nearly 60 people who were indicted last week on drug and weapon
conspiracies charges, including 30 American Airlines baggage handlers
and ground crew workers at Miami International Airport.

The drugs, which included bogus cocaine and marijuana supplied by
federal agents working in a sting operation, were allegedly smuggled
in airline food carts, garbage bags and backpacks by workers who
eluded metal detectors and airport X- rays.

- -- Ten Colombians arrested a week ago in Cali allegedly used American
Airlines flights to smuggle more than a half-ton of heroin and cocaine
to Miami.

- -- In 1997, federal agents used hidden video cameras on American
Airlines planes to catch six aircraft mechanics who allegedly helped
smuggle millions of dollars' worth of heroin and cocaine from Colombia
into Miami. The drugs were stashed in ceilings, lavatories, kitchens
and cockpits.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which conducts surprise
inspections at the nation's airports, wouldn't comment specifically on
Miami. The 3,000 inspections last year at airports across the country
found some problems, but the agency and airports worked to fix them,
said Tanya Wagner, FAA spokeswoman.

``We feel that certain areas have substantially improved,'' Wagner
said

U.S. Attorney Thomas Scott, whose office led last week's
investigation, criticized security at Miami International Airport. He
made recommendations to tighten security after the sting re vealed
airline workers had easily exploited their employee access.

``Miami International Airport is a safe and secure airport,''
Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas said. ``This airport meets or
exceeds all federal requirements and regulations.''

Penelas said the airport has been tightening security the past two
years, including taking steps to reduce the number of places where
employees can access planes and the type of bags or backpacks they are
allowed to bring into secure areas.