Pubdate: Wed, 27 Dec 2000 Source: El Paso Times (TX) Copyright: 2000 El Paso Times Contact: P.O.Box 20, El Paso, Texas 79999 Fax: (915) 546-6415 Website: http://www.borderlandnews.com/ Author: Diana Washington Valdez CUSTOMS SETS RECORDS FOR AREA DRUG SEIZURES U.S. Customs Service officers seized a record amount of drugs in West Texas and Southern New Mexico during the agency's "most successful enforcement year ever" in the region, spokesman Roger Maier said. Customs officers assigned to the agency's El Paso district seized 308,942 pounds of drugs during fiscal year 2000, which ended Sept. 30. That's an increase of about 15 percent from the 269,021 pounds confiscated the previous fiscal year. Officials attribute the record seizures to customs' increased hiring to fill vacancies and technological tools, such as the two portable VACIS X-ray systems, which are used to search vehicles. Highlights of the federal agency's enforcement efforts included stopping a man June 7 at the Paso del Norte Bridge who was carrying 3,644 Valium pills taped to his thighs, and intercepting a 11,541-pound marijuana load May 2 at the Zaragoza International Bridge. Maier said the marijuana seizure was the single largest seizure by customs officers in a decade. The pot was found on top of a regular shipment of seat belts. On May 17, customs officers said they seized 1,831 pounds of marijuana from two cars at the Santa Teresa border crossing, the largest seizures involving private vehicles at that crossing. Maier said that through Dec. 22, "a record 153 juveniles (were) caught bringing drug loads across international bridges," compared with the 148 juveniles customs intercepted in 1999. "An emerging trend seems to be smugglers being caught with drugs while traveling with their families, children and relatives," he said. Although it wasn't related to drugs, customs officials in El Paso are also proud of the results of their Operation Steal Rails investigation, which accused 16 former Pinkerton Security guards of stealing from rail shipments they were hired to protect, Maier said. - --- MAP posted-by: Kirk Bauer