DEMING, N.M., March 15 (Reuter) The U.S. Border Patrol and New Mexico
state police on Saturday announced steppedup patrols along the MexicoNew
Mexico border aimed at reducing illegal immigration and narcoticstrafficking
in the region.

New Mexico has experienced a 50 percent increase in drugtrafficking and
a 60 percent increase in illegal immigration in the past few years since
Texas, Arizona and California started cracking down along their borders with
Mexico, officials said.

``We need to let everyone know that this region of the country is not a
thoroughfare,'' U.S. Border Patrol Assistant Chief Robert Saenz said.

Under the new programme, codenamed ``Operation High Point,'' agents will
be positioned every quartermile (.4 km) along a critical 10mile (16 km)
stretch of New Mexico's southern border with Mexico. Agents also will
increase patrols along other sections of the border on foot, in cars and on
horseback.

During a trial run over the past two weeks, drug seizures increased 104
percent and the capture of illegal immigrants went up 59 percent, officials
said.

Deming Police Chief Mike Carillo said they also noticed a decline in
violent crime, which has escalated recently as New Mexico became a gateway
for drugtraffickers moving marijuana and cocaine across the border from
Mexico.