MEN, WOMEN WHO GUARD U.S. BORDERS HONEST, DEDICATED

Corruption

A recent syndicated article in The Seattle Times ("How smugglers lure
agents into corruption," March 7) is disappointing in its broad-brush
indictment of the thousands of honest, incorruptible men and women who
are the nation's first line of defense against drugs, money-laundering
and terrorism.

These are serious day-in and day-out responsibilities willingly
undertaken and often at great personal risk. It is simply wrong to
suggest, as did the two reporters for Knight Ridder Newspapers, that
increasing efforts by drug smugglers to penetrate and corrupt border
agencies automatically equates to an increase in front-line corruption.

While a draft General Accounting Office report cited in a companion
article identifies a relative handful of instances of corruption
("Smugglers corrupting U.S. anti-drug forces, study says"), we all
agree that even a single case is too many.

Every U.S. border-control agency - the Customs Service, Border Patrol,
Immigration and Naturalization Service, Drug Enforcement
Administration and more - is dedicated not just to accomplishing its
mission, but to keeping the trust and faith of the American people.

As president of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), the
union representing more than 12,000 employees of the Customs Service,
I know firsthand that to be a priority in Customs.

That, of course, takes money and training, and those are matters that
are up to Congress and the administration.

Under any circumstances, I can assure you that the men and women who
guard America's borders not only want to do their part effectively and
efficiently, they are in fact doing it with dedication,
professionalism and honesty.

Robert M. Tobias, Washington, D.C.