MEXICO AT RISK OF JOINING DRUGS BLACK LIST -REPORT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and Mexican officials are bracing for an
aggressive bid in Congress to ``decertify'' Mexico as an ally in the United
States' war on drugs after a year of dismal results in Mexican anti-drug
efforts, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

Mexico made no progress in reducing drug trafficking and corruption in 1998
and in many areas actually did worse than the previous year, the newspaper
reported, quoting U.S. officials.

Because of Mexico's lack of progress, some U.S. and Mexican officials are
expecting the U.S. Congress to try to add the country to the ``black list''
of nations that are judged failures in the war against drugs by
decertifying it, the paper said.

``What grade do you give them if they have really done nothing?'' the Post
quoted one U.S. official involved in monitoring Mexico's anti-drug efforts
as saying. ``You would have to give them a D-minus or an F.''

The newspaper listed a lack of progress on many fronts.

Seizures of cocaine, marijuana and heroin fell significantly. Drug arrests
declined, and the number of drug investigations either underway or
completed dropped 14 percent from 1997. There was a drop in the number of
poppy fields destroyed and clandestine drug laboratories that were found
and dismantled.

Confiscations of drug-carrying cars, trucks and boats were down. Seizures
of ephedrine, the key ingredient in methamphetamine -- commonly known as
speed -- and of opium gum, a poppy residue used to make heroin, were almost
halved from 1997, according to the Post report.

By March 1 of every year the U.S. president must certify to Congress
whether countries that are major drug producers or transshipment areas are
``fully cooperating'' in the drug war. If not, the nations lose a host of
economic and trade benefits.

The White House also has the option of decertifying a country while waiving
the sanctions, in the national interest.

Clinton, who plans to visit Mexico for meetings with Mexican President
Ernesto Zedillo on Feb. 14 and 15, is expected to approve Mexico's
certification.

But administration officials are increasingly concerned that Mexico's weak
1998 record will prompt a concerted effort by some members of Congress to
overturn the decision, the Post reported.

Last year, decertified countries included Iran, Nigeria, Afghanistan and
Myanmar.

Rep. John L. Mica, a Florida Republican and chairman of the House
subcommittee on criminal justice, drug policy and human resources, said
there would be strong support this year to overturn Mexico's certification.

Senior administration officials said they know they are facing a hard sell
on Capitol Hill.

``Opponents of certification require more than good faith efforts from
Mexico -- they want results, including extraditions of Mexican nationals,
more prosecutions of corrupt officials and more than paper agreements about
cooperative law enforcement arrangements,'' said an internal White House
document obtained by the Post.

``Without strong statistical evidence, our supporters (in Congress who back
certification) may very well become opponents,'' the document warned.
``They have made it known to us that they ... need more and better evidence
of cooperative efforts. By this, they mean evidence of outcomes.''