PATROL SEIZES COCAINE LOAD -- HAUL WORTH MILLIONS

Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers on Wednesday proudly displayed the fruits
of their latest -- and second greatest -- drug haul in state history.

The seizure, which took place in Beckham County, featured 326 1/2 pounds of
cocaine with an estimated street value in excess of $50 million.

The bust was so large, in fact, that the patrol isn't releasing the name of
the trooper who confiscated this latest cocaine mother lode.

''We don't want to endanger him or have anything come back on him,'' Lt.
Stewart Meyer said.

Javier S. Moscoso, 25, was driving a van eastbound on Interstate 40 on
Saturday night when he was stopped near Elk City. The trooper discovered
the registration of the New York license plate on the van didn't correspond
with the vehicle.

''The trooper then had a conversation with the driver (Moscoso),'' Meyer
explained. ''During this communication, the trooper suspected something
else was wrong.''

Upon further inspection, the trooper discovered a 4-inch rise in the
floorboard of the van. Beneath the van's plush, green carpet were 133
packages of cocaine, coated with mustard in hopes of throwing off a search
dog.

''By the way,'' cracked one trooper, ''mustard doesn't work.''

Moscoso was traveling with at least two other passengers -- Alexandra
Moscoso, 22, and Allen Justin Borland, 35. Drug trafficking charges were
filed against all three Monday by the district attorney's office, and each
could face up to 30 years in prison if found guilty.

Judge Doug Haught set bail for each at $100,000. All three remain in the
Beckham County jail.

''Everything we do comes as a result of working traffic, because that's
what we do,'' Meyer said. ''Several times we come across drug seizures,
fugitives and felons.''

The top haul was 500 pounds in 1996.