Pubdate: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 Source: San Antonio Express-News (TX) Copyright: 2002 San Antonio Express-News Contact: http://www.mysanantonio.com/expressnews/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/384 Author: Dane Schiller, San Antonio Express-News Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?194 (Hutchinson, Asa) DEA BOSS SEES STEADY DRUG FLOW The nation won't see a drop in the quantity of drugs being smuggled into the United States anytime soon as a result of the death and arrests of key Mexican cartel figures, the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration said Tuesday. Instead, the recent actions will do more to teach respect for the law and warn whoever takes over cartel leadership that their activities will leave them dead or behind bars, DEA Director Asa Hutchinson said. Hutchinson said the arrests make "an enormous difference." "For decades there wasn't a belief that the law ruled (in Mexico)," said Hutchinson, who was in San Antonio to address the Express-News Editorial Board and a statewide gathering of police chiefs. "It instills a respect for the institution of government," Hutchinson said. The U.S.-Mexico border's largest cartel, which was based in Tijuana, Mexico, and run by brothers Ramon and Benjamin Arellano Felix, suffered a one-two punch earlier this year when Ramon was killed and Benjamin was arrested. And last week, federal agents swept through Tijuana and arrested more than two dozen police officers who were charged with corruption. With time, as organizations are dismantled, the flow of drugs will slow, Hutchinson said. Adan Medrano, allegedly the second-in-command of the Gulf Cartel was arrested in March in the border city of Matamoros. The Gulf Cartel has seen a years-long leadership battle after the conviction of former cartel boss Juan Garcia Abrego, who is serving multiple life sentences in a U.S. federal prison. Hutchinson praised the efforts of Mexican authorities taking on the cartels and said his agency will continue to cooperate with its Mexican counterparts. U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, who accompanied Hutchinson, said Mexico is working with the United States and making a "good faith" effort to take on drug traffickers. "We're getting good cooperation from elected officials, particularly (President) Vicente Fox, which is a dramatic change," said Smith, chairman of the House Judiciary subcommittee on crime, terrorism and homeland security. "What he confronts is what we confront - a level of corruption that undermines his efforts and our efforts," Smith said. About 235,376 pounds of cocaine nationwide was seized or turned over to the DEA in fiscal year 2001. That same year, the DEA saw more than 2.6 million pounds of marijuana. - --- MAP posted-by: Jackl